Free meals for keiki offered at 15 Big Island schools

The state Department of Education will begin offering free summer meals to children 18 and under starting Wednesday.

Breakfast and lunch will be available Monday through Friday at 15 Big Island schools.

The children receiving food do not need to be enrolled in the school to get the meals, according to the DOE.

Breakfasts will be served from 7:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m., and lunches will be available from 10:30 a.m. to noon. All meals will consist of solid foods.

All meals must be eaten on campus, and there will be no grab-and-go options available.

The food is available through the Seamless Summer Option program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was established to ensure that children continue to receive nutritious meals during the summer.

“For many of our students, school meals are a vital source of daily nutrition,” state Superintendent Keith Hayashi said. “Our cafeteria teams are stepping up once again to make sure kids across Hawaii stay healthy and well-fed this summer. We encourage families to take advantage of these free meals — no sign-up or enrollment is needed.”

The schools on Hawaii Island participating in the SSO program this summer are: Hilo High; Honoka‘a High and Intermediate; Kapi‘olani Elementary; Ka‘u High and Pahala Intermediate; Kea‘au Elementary; Kea‘au Middle; Kealakehe Elementary; Keaukaha Elementary; Konawaena Elementary; Mountain View Elementary; Na‘alehu Elementary; Pa‘auilo Elementary and Intermediate; Pahoa High and Intermediate; Waiakea High; and Waiakea Intermediate.

For special diet accommodations, email specialdiets@k12.hi.us with as much detail as possible.

To qualify for the SSO program, schools must have at least 50% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and they must host a summer program on campus. Parents can contact their nearest participating school directly for more details.