News Summary
The Beaufort County School District will provide free meals during summer for students under 18 years and young adults with disabilities. Available from June to July at various local sites, this initiative aims to ensure children have access to nutritious meals during the summer break. Families can enroll by contacting specific locations. Additionally, all schools in the district will offer free breakfast and lunch next academic year under the Community Eligibility Provision. A grant from No Kid Hungry will also enhance meal quality.
Beaufort – The Beaufort County School District has announced that it will offer free meals during the summer months for all students under 18 years of age, as well as young adults over 18 who are mentally or physically disabled. This program aims to ensure that children in the community have access to nutritious meals during the summer break, supporting their health and well-being.
The meal program will be operational from June 2 to July 31, 2024, at various sites throughout Beaufort County, but will not be available on the holidays of June 19 and July 4. The primary location for meals will be the Robert Smalls Leadership Academy, which will provide Grab and Go meals from June 9 to July 31. In addition, meals will also be served at Beaufort County Libraries from June 2 to July 31.
Families interested in this program must contact specific program sites to enroll their children. The summer meal offerings will be available at various accessible locations including:
- Beaufort County Parks & Recreation: June 2 to July 30
- Boys and Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry (Bluffton Club): June 9 to July 25
- Broad River Club at Robert Smalls Leadership Academy: June 9 to July 17
- The Batten Family Unit (Hilton Head Club): June 16 to July 25
- Shanklin Elementary Club at Whale Branch Elementary School: June 9 to July 3
- Whale Branch Elementary: June 9 to July 24
- Whale Branch Middle: June 9 to July 24
- Beaufort-Jasper YMCA at Coosa Elementary School: June 9 to July 24
- YMCA at Robert Smalls Leadership Academy: June 9 to July 24
- Beaufort-Jasper YMCA – Port Royal: June 4 to July 31
- YMCA Migrant Education Program: June 9 to July 3
- Wright Directions: June 9 to July 24
- Neighborhood Outreach Center: Bluffton Community Soup Kitchen: June 10 to July 10
- Church of the Harvest Apostolic: June 23 to July 17
- Mount Carmel Baptist Church: June 30 to July 24
Additionally, breakfast and lunch will be provided to students participating in the district’s Summer Programs, which include:
- Summer Reading Program: June 9 – June 28
- Summer School Program: June 9 – June 28
- Sea Island School for the Arts (SISA): June 9 – June 13
- Athletic Summer Programs: Monday-Thursday
- AFJROTC Summer Camp: June 2 – June 6
In the 2024-2025 academic year, all schools within the Beaufort County School District will provide free breakfast and lunch under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). This initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, allows qualifying schools to provide nutritious meals at no charge to students. Under this program, all schools will serve one free breakfast and one free lunch daily to students, facilitating access to nutritious food for families in need. Parents can reach out to program contacts if they wish to opt-out of this provision.
Concerns regarding meal quality have been expressed by some parents on social media. To enhance the summer meal program, the school nutrition department has received a grant of $20,500 from No Kid Hungry, which will be used for costs associated with vehicle rentals, food packaging, marketing, and other necessary equipment. With these provisions in place, the community aims to make the summer meal program a successful initiative that caters to the needs of its children.
Overall, the Beaufort County School District’s summer meal program is set to begin on June 2 and will run through August 14, 2024, with meals served Monday through Thursday. This initiative is a vital step towards ensuring that no child in the community goes hungry during the summer months.
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Additional Resources
- WJCL: Beaufort County School to Provide Free Meals for Kids this Summer
- Wikipedia: Food Security
- Your Island News: Beaufort County Schools Offer Free Lunch & Breakfast to All Students
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Nutrition
- WNCT: Beaufort County Schools Receives Grant for Summer Lunches
- Google News: Beaufort County School Free Meals
- Island Packet: School Meal Program Details
- Google Search: Beaufort County School Nutritional Program
- Washington Daily News: BCS Awarded $20,500 Grant for Summer Meal Program
Author: STAFF HERE BEAUFORT
The HERE Beaufort Staff Writers are a collaborative team of journalists, editors, and local contributors passionate about delivering accurate, timely information to the Beaufort community. As part of the HEREcity.com Network, which powers over 100 U.S. city sites including HEREcolumbia.com, our staff draws on collective experience in South Carolina journalism to cover everything from business sales and real estate developments to dining deals and community initiatives. Our Expertise and Background: Local Roots in Beaufort : Our team includes lifelong Beaufort residents and SC natives with deep knowledge of the area’s history, economy, and culture. We’ve covered key events like the recent sale of the historic Crofts Block Building, Beaufort’s equestrian heritage, and growth in local tech and education sectors (e.g., BeaufortTechnical College programs). Collective Experience: With over 50 combined years in journalism, our staff has backgrounds in print, digital media, and community reporting. We prioritize fact-based stories, drawing from sources like the Beaufort Chamber of Commerce, city government records, and on-the-ground interviews. Commitment to Quality: Every article is a group effort, involving research, editing, and verification to ensure reliability. We adhere to journalistic standards, citing credible sources and updating content as new details emerge.
