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The Kids Summer Food Program provides free meals.

Free summer meals for kids and teens are no hassle! No application and no sign-up is required—just stop by and enjoy!

Summer meal programs are funded by the USDA and designed to provide kids and teens ages 18 and under with healthy meals during the summer months when school is out of session. Participating in summer meals can save families time and expenses spent grocery shopping and meal prepping. Just stop by and enjoy!

Feeding Our Community

Summer meals for kids and teens are available all summer long at sites across our 21-county service area! Stopping by a summer meal site with your family not only saves you time and money spent grocery shopping and meal prepping; it also helps support our community.

Summer meal programming is federally funded. Changes at the federal level no longer allow most sites to offer grab & go or multi-day meals. However, due to on-going challenges with COVID, select sites are allowed to offer the grab & go option. These sites are indicated below with an asterisk (*).

We are dedicated to serving children in our communities and we plan to serve meals throughout the summer. All meals are served following USDA nutrition guidelines.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Esta entidad es un proveedor que brinda igualdad de oportunidades.

It’s hard to measure the impact Catholic Charities’ Kids Summer Food Program has on families. For Desiree, a mother of five who brought her children to the site almost daily, it was a difference-maker. “This is a good time for us bonding together; getting to sit at the table and all eat together.”

—Desiree, Mother of five

FAQs

There is no application or registration required to receive a meal. You do not have to provide proof of income, residency or citizenship. Just show up!

Yes*, due to federal regulations, all meals at non-rural sites must be consumed on-site. Children can take one fruit, vegetable or grain item from their meal off-site to eat later.

*Rural sites, listed below, are able to still operate as grab & go meal sites.
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The locations which will allow grab & go meals are:

Pottawatomie-Wabaunsee Library System: Alma Branch Library, Alta Vista Library, Eskridge Branch Library, Harveyville United Methodist Church, Olsburg Mini Library, Onaga Branch Library, St. Marys Headquarters Library and Westmoreland Mini Library

Other
Oneida Methodist Church, Osage City Public Library, Atchison Boys and Girls Club, Atchison New Life Assembly of God, Sts. Peter and Paul – Seneca and Axtell American Legion Hall

No. All summer meals offered through the USDA are free to all kids and teens ages 18 and under.

Summer meal programs are federally funded by the USDA through the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option.

No es necesario llenar una solicitud o registrarse para recibir una comida. No es necesario presentar pruebas de ingresos, residencia o ciudadanía. !Sólo tiene que presentarse!

Sí, debido a la normativa federal, todas las comidas deben consumirse en el centro. Los niños pueden llevarse una fruta, un vegetal o un ingrediente de su comida para comerlo más tarde.

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Los lugares que permitirán comidas para llevar son:

KCK Metro Route: Bellrose Manor, St. Margaret Park, Juniper Gardens, Douglas Heights, Cyrus K. Holliday, and Chalet Manor

Pottawatomee-Wabaunsee Library System: Alma Branch Library, Alta Vista Library, Eskridge Branch Library, Harveyville United Methodist Church, Olsburg Mini Library, Onaga Branch Library, St. Marys Headquarters Library, and Westmoreland Mini Library

Other
Lyon County Library District #1, Oneida Methodist Church, Osage City Public Library

No. Debido a los cambios a nivel federal. Los padres y tutores ya no pueden recoger las comidas en nombre de sus hijos y las comidas deben consumirse en el lugar. Sin embargo, muchos sitios de comidas incluyen actividades divertidas para los niños y toda la familia.

No. Todas las comidas de verano ofrecidas a través de los programas del USDA son gratuitas para todos los niños y adolescentes menores de 18 años.

How It Works: On-Site Meals

On-Site Meal Locations

  • Central Resource Library
  • Antioch Library
  • KCK Metro: Belrose Manor, St. Margaret’s Park, Juniper Gardens, Douglas Heights, Cyrus K. Holliday and Chalet Manor

How It Works: Grab & Go Meals

Grab & Go Meal Locations

Pottawatomie-Wabaunsee Library System: Alma Branch Library, Alta Vista Library, Eskridge Branch Library, Harveyville United Methodist Church, Olsburg Mini Library, Onaga Branch Library, St. Marys Headquarters Library and Westmoreland Mini Library

Other
Oneida Methodist Church, Osage City Public Library, Atchison Boys and Girls Club, Atchison New Life Assembly of God, Sts. Peter and Paul – Seneca and Axtell American Legion Hall

Where We Serve

Our sites are located in the following communities, and any child is welcome to join us on-site to enjoy a meal:

  • Alma, KS
  • Alta Vista, KS
  • Eskridge, KS
  • Harveyville, KS
  • Olsburg, KS
  • Onaga, KS
  • St. Marys, KS
  • Westmoreland, KS
  • Oneida, KS
  • Osage City, KS
  • Seneca, KS
  • Merriam, KS
  • Overland Park, KS
  • Kansas City, KS

Do you live outside of our 21-county service area or do you need to locate a food site closer to you? Text “FOOD” or “COMIDA” to 304-304.

SiteLocationAddressDatesDay(s)Times
Alma Branch Library*Alma, KS115 West 3rd St, Alma, KS 66401June 6 - July 25Tuesday11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Alta Vista Library*Alta Vista, KS310 Center St, Alta Vista, KS 66834July 5 - 26Wednesday12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Eskridge Branch Library*Eskridge, KS115 South Main St, Eskridge, KS 66423June 6 - August 15Tuesday11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Harveyville United Methodist Church*Harveyville, KS371 Wabaunsee Ave., Harveyville, KS 66431June 6 - July 25Tuesday12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Olsburg Mini Library*Olsburg, KS318 N 2nd St, Olsburg, KS 66520June 8 - July 27Thursday12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Onaga Branch Library*Onaga, KS313 Leonard St, Onaga, KS 66521June 9 - August 11Friday11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Westmoreland Mini Library*Westmoreland, KS315 Main St, Westmoreland, KS 66549June 5 - August 7Monday11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Axtell American Legion*Axtell, KS207 5th, Axtell, KS 66403June 6 - July 25Tuesday11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Oneida Methodist Church*Oneida, KS5th and Lake St, Oneida, KS 66522June 12 - July 31Monday11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Osage City Public Library*Osage City, KS515 Main St, Osage City, KS 66523May 23 - July 25Tuesday11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Saints Peter and Paul Youth Center*Seneca, KS401 Elk St, Seneca, KS 66538July 6 - August 10Thursday12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Antioch LibraryMerriam, KS8700 Shawnee Mission Pkwy, Merriam, KS 66202June 5 - August 4Monday, Wednesday and Friday9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Central Resource LibraryOverland Park, KS9875 W. 87th St, Overland Park, KS 66212May 30 - August 4Monday - Friday11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Belrose ManorKansas CIty, KS4042 Fisher St, Kansas City, KS 66103June 21 - August 4Monday - Friday11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Cyrus K. HollidayKansas City, KS1723 South 37th Court, Kansas City, KS 66101June 21 - August 4Monday - Friday11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Douglas HeightsKansas City, KS4108 Lawrence Dr, Kansas City, KS 66106June 19 - August 4Monday - Friday1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Juniper GardensKansas City, KS1964 North 3rd St, Kansas City, KS 66101June 19 - August 4Monday - Friday11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
St. Margaret's ParkKansas City, KS357 Perry Sq, Kansas City, KS 66101June 19 - August 4Monday - Friday12:30 PM - 1:45 PM
Second Baptist Church - Fellowship HallKansas City, KS2328 Ruby Ave, Kansas City, KS 66106June 21 - August 4Monday - Friday12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

*All sites marked with an asterisk (*) indicate that this is grab & go/multi-day meal site.

Engage

We know that when kids and teens have consistent access to healthy food, they have the fuel they need to grow and thrive. Summer should be a stress-free time, and free summer meals can help.
Help feed our communities—volunteer or partner with us today!

Volunteer

Help make a difference in a child’s life by volunteering with the Kids Summer Food Program. We rely on volunteers to help us reach families at all of our meal sites across the counties that we serve. Individuals or families can help in many ways.

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Volunteer Opportunities

Do you have any questions or are you interested in volunteering at any of our sites next year? Contact us. we’d love to hear from you!

Volunteer at Johnson County – Central Resource Library

  • Location: 9875 West 87th Street – Overland Park, KS 66212
  • Days of Operation: Monday-Friday
  • Meal Type: Lunch

Volunteer at Johnson County – Antioch Library

  • Location: 8700 Shawnee Mission Parkway – Merriam, KS 66202
  • Days of Operation: Monday, Wednesday and Friday
  • Meal Type: Breakfast

Community Partners

Community partners are the backbone to the success of this program. We partner with libraries, schools, churches, community centers and local organizations to meet the needs in our communities. Catholic Charities supports community partners by providing healthy meals, training and materials to successfully run a summer meal site.

Interested in hosting a site? Contact us, we’d love to hear from you!

Originally, the other organizations [in the area] weren’t really doing summer food or any kind of food options really, and so there was a kind of gap. Our goal was to fill that gap. If we could provide them food and then also get them into the library and get them reading—a package deal was what we were looking for.

—Judith Cremer, Library Director at Pottawatomie-Wabaunsee Regional Library

Support Us

Hunger is not an individual problem. It is a community issue.

No child should wonder when they will eat their next meal.

1 in 7 kids in Kansas face food insecurity. This means that there is a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.

In 2023, Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas’ Kids Summer Food Program:  

  • Added two new sites, totaling 27 sites across our service area.
  • Served over 38,326 meals to children at metro and rural sites.

Contact Us

If you have questions about the Kids Summer Food Program, please fill out the form below or reach out to [email protected].

For all other inquiries use the Contact Us page.

Highlights

Recent Blog Posts about Kids Summer Food Program