A No Kid Hungry Washington grant will provide four organizations across the state a total of $78,800, including $14,500 that will support the Aberdeen School District Free Summer Lunch Program, to help reach more kids in rural communities with summer meals.

The Summer Lunch Program operates in partnership with other local entities to serve students at parks and other organized activities. However, not all students live near a park. This grant supports adding three schools to the lunch route as Grab ‘N Go Summer Lunch sites — Robert Gray, Stevens and Central Park elementary schools. The lunch program starts June 16.

Lunches will be available at Aberdeen Park & Play locations — Finch Playfield, North End Park, Peterson Park, Garley Park and Cosi Lions Club Park — from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., while Grab ‘N Go lunches will be available from 11 to 11:15 a.m. at Robert Gray Elementary, 11:30 to 11:45 a.m. at Stevens Elementary, and 12:15 to 12:30 p.m. at Central Park Elementary. Meals are available for kids 18 and under.

The Park & Play Program will be held Monday through Friday, June 16 through Aug. 22, but will not be available on June 19 or July 4. The program offers free lunch, games, STEM activities, athletics, arts and crafts, and team-building activities in conjunction with the city of Aberdeen, Timberland Regional Library and United Way of Grays Harbor. A kickoff event at Finch Playfield is scheduled for June 18 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

According to a No Kid Hungry Washington press release, the grant funding supports summer meal programs that make meals more accessible for rural families by delivering meals to children who need them or allowing parents to pick meals up at a central location to be taken home for their kids, oftentimes for multiple days at a time.

“Summer meals are a lifeline for kids and families who rely on school meals throughout the school year,” said Brianna Guerrero, No Kid Hungry Washington state campaign manager. “We’re excited to support the programs that are making dependable nutrition accessible to families in all corners of the state, reaching many more kids with the food they need to stay healthy over the summer and start the next school year ready to learn.”

The following school districts and community organizations received summer meal grants from No Kid Hungry Washington:

Aberdeen School District

FISH Community Food Bank

North Mason School District

The Campbell Farm

The press release also stated that for many children, free and reduced price school meals ensure reliable access to nutrition during the school year. However, when schools close for the summer, these meals disappear and families struggle from the strain on already-tight budgets. This can be particularly true for rural families.

A recent No Kid Hungry nationwide survey found that nearly three quarters (74%) of rural families living on low incomes with children ran out of food in the past year.