Summer School!

Summer in the Flathead Valley… a magical time of the year when we forget that February exists and there is still enough daylight to read a good book outside until well after 9 o’clock at night. When I was a kid we had this incredible toy called ‘the outdoors.’ The internet was nonexistent and I played around my neighborhood until the streetlights came on and I knew my freedom was suspended until the next day. I think kids still enjoy summer if you can convince them there is life beyond handheld electronic devices. In spite of wireless distraction and social media madness, summer retains an important place in the lives of most children.


There are times, however, when summer has a different connotation. Many children in America fear the summer because they go hungry more often than during the school year, when free and reduced meals are provided for some children. Waking up in the middle of July can be a thousand times more frightening than facing any math test in October.

•In 2010, 16.4 million or approximately 22 percent of children in the U.S. lived in poverty.


•During the 2010 federal fiscal year, 20.6 million low-income children received free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program. Unfortunately, just 2.3 million of these same income-eligible children participated in the Summer Food Service Program that same year.

As I was driving to work a few days ago I noticed some of our local elementary schools are providing daily free meals at certain times. This is an incredible example of how a community can take care of its people in times where assistance is needed. The Summer Food Service Program is as follows:

Woodland Park June 11-August 24
Elrod Elementary June 18-August 24
Russell Elementary July 9- August 24

Monday –Friday
Breakfast 7:30 till 9 am
Lunch 11 am till 1 pm

Meals will be served to anyone 18 years old and younger. No proof of income, registration, or ID is required. (No meals will be served on July 4th)