File Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado
AURORA | Hundreds of thousands of Colorado students rely on schools to receive meals, state officials report. Many can expect for lunch to be served across the summer.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 124.4 million summer meals from the Summer Food Service Program were served to children during the 2023 fiscal year. In Colorado, 1.6 million meals were served.
“Just because the school year ends doesn’t mean that hunger goes away,” said James Lesley, summer program coordinator for Aurora Public School Nutrition Services. “So it’s important that we as a school district…[are] there and reliable for the community.”
Kim Kilgore, director of food and nutrition services for Cherry Creek School District, echoed those sentiments. Classes may end, but the issues surround food insecurity don’t stop with the last school bell of the school year.
Here is what you need to know about summer meals.
Cherry Creek School District will distribute meals at these locations from June 3 to July 24 on weekdays. Breakfast will be served from 8 a.m.-9 a.m., and lunch will be served from 11a.m. – 1p.m.
- Canyon Creek Elementary School
- Cimarron Elementary School
- Eastridge Elementary School
- Holly Ridge Primary School
- Horizon Community MIddle School
- Independence Elementary School
- Meadow Point Elementary School
- Overland High School
- Sagebrudge Elementary School
Cherry Creek will provide weekend food bags for families on Fridays. They will also provide lunches at Village East Park, on the corner of South Moline Street and East Arkansas Avenue.
Aurora Public Schools will distribute meals at these locations from May 28 to Aug. 2 on weekdays. These meals will be served as grab n’ go style meals. Times of operation will vary for each location.
- Aurora Hills Middle School, from 11:45 a.m. to noon
- Elkhart Elementary School, from 11:45 a.m. to noon
- Friendly Village of Aurora, from 12:15 p.m. to 12:30 pm
- Hillcrest Village, from 11:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
- Iowa Elementary School, from 12:45 p.m. to 1 p.m.
- Laredo Elementary School, from 12:45 p.m. to 1p.m.
- North Middle School, from 10:45 a.m. to 11 a.m.
- Rocky Ridge Park, from 12:15 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Tierra Park, located at 14777 E Asbury Ave., from 11:15 to 11:30 a.m.
- Yale Elementary School, from 10:45 a.m. to 11 a.m.
APS will serve meals from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the following locations on weekdays:
- Aurora Frontier K-8 School
- Aurora West College Preparatory School
- Central Recreational Center, located at 18150 Vassar Place
- Charles Burrell K8, located at 875 Peoria Street
- Del Mar Aquatic Center, located at 12000 E. Sixth Avenue
- Gateway High School
- Hinkley High School
- Hoops Park, located at located at 16300 E Sixth Ave
- Meadow Hills Pool, located at 3609 S. Dawson Street
- Rangeview High School
- Southeast Recreational Center, located at 25400 E. Alexander Drive
- Utah Indoor Pool, located at 1800 S. Peoria Street
- Village Green Pool, located at 1300 S. Chambers Circle
- Vista PEAK Preparatory
APS and Cherry Creek will partner to distribute meals from 11:30 am to 12:30 p.m. at these locations on weekdays:
- Mission Viejo Park, located at 3999 S. Mission Parkway
- Utah Park, located at 1800 S. Peoria Street
The Summer Electronic Benefits Program, also called Summer EBT, also provides Colorado families with additional resources for groceries this summer. Eligible families can receive a single payment of $120 for each child in the family, according to the state.