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.
| Site | Location | Address | Dates | Day(s) | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alma Branch Library* | Alma, KS | 115 West 3rd St, Alma, KS 66401 | June 6 - July 25 | Tuesday | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
| Alta Vista Library* | Alta Vista, KS | 310 Center St, Alta Vista, KS 66834 | July 5 - 26 | Wednesday | 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM |
| Eskridge Branch Library* | Eskridge, KS | 115 South Main St, Eskridge, KS 66423 | June 6 - August 15 | Tuesday | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
| Harveyville United Methodist Church* | Harveyville, KS | 371 Wabaunsee Ave., Harveyville, KS 66431 | June 6 - July 25 | Tuesday | 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM |
| Olsburg Mini Library* | Olsburg, KS | 318 N 2nd St, Olsburg, KS 66520 | June 8 - July 27 | Thursday | 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM |
| Onaga Branch Library* | Onaga, KS | 313 Leonard St, Onaga, KS 66521 | June 9 - August 11 | Friday | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
| Westmoreland Mini Library* | Westmoreland, KS | 315 Main St, Westmoreland, KS 66549 | June 5 - August 7 | Monday | 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM |
| Axtell American Legion* | Axtell, KS | 207 5th, Axtell, KS 66403 | June 6 - July 25 | Tuesday | 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM |
| Oneida Methodist Church* | Oneida, KS | 5th and Lake St, Oneida, KS 66522 | June 12 - July 31 | Monday | 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM |
| Osage City Public Library* | Osage City, KS | 515 Main St, Osage City, KS 66523 | May 23 - July 25 | Tuesday | 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM |
| Saints Peter and Paul Youth Center* | Seneca, KS | 401 Elk St, Seneca, KS 66538 | July 6 - August 10 | Thursday | 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM |
| Antioch Library | Merriam, KS | 8700 Shawnee Mission Pkwy, Merriam, KS 66202 | June 5 - August 4 | Monday, Wednesday and Friday | 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM |
| Central Resource Library | Overland Park, KS | 9875 W. 87th St, Overland Park, KS 66212 | May 30 - August 4 | Monday - Friday | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
| Belrose Manor | Kansas CIty, KS | 4042 Fisher St, Kansas City, KS 66103 | June 21 - August 4 | Monday - Friday | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
| Cyrus K. Holliday | Kansas City, KS | 1723 South 37th Court, Kansas City, KS 66101 | June 21 - August 4 | Monday - Friday | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
| Douglas Heights | Kansas City, KS | 4108 Lawrence Dr, Kansas City, KS 66106 | June 19 - August 4 | Monday - Friday | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM |
| Juniper Gardens | Kansas City, KS | 1964 North 3rd St, Kansas City, KS 66101 | June 19 - August 4 | Monday - Friday | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
| St. Margaret's Park | Kansas City, KS | 357 Perry Sq, Kansas City, KS 66101 | June 19 - August 4 | Monday - Friday | 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM |
| Second Baptist Church - Fellowship Hall | Kansas City, KS | 2328 Ruby Ave, Kansas City, KS 66106 | June 21 - August 4 | Monday - Friday | 12:30 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.
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
