While students dealing with food insecurity have options for free or affordable meals during the school year, the end of school can leave children relying on those services scrambling to fill the void.

Garland ISD and local nonprofits are stepping in to help address the problem by providing free meals and resources for children under 18.

GISD’s summer meals program began June 13 and will be offered through July 1, at select schools, including Sachse High School. One campus, Centerville Elementary School, located at 600 East Keen Drive in Garland will offer free meals July 11-14. 

Meals are served Monday through Thursday and are available for students under 18 and provided they are accompanied by an adult or older sibling. All meals must be eaten in the school cafeteria.

Daily menus are available for residents to view at schoolcafe.com/GARLANDISD.

Residents also do not need to bring proof of enrollment, according to Coordinator Business Program Development Margaret Liew.

A full list of participating schools is available at garlandisd.net/school-operations/school-meals/summer-meals.

Breakfast will be served from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. and lunch will be served from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. at Sachse High School and other area high schools. Middle schools will have the same lunch hours but breakfast will be served from 8:50 a.m. to 9:20 a.m.

With the exception of Centerville Elementary, breakfast will be available between 8:10 a.m. to 8:40 a.m. and lunch will be served from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. At Centerville Elementary, breakfast will be served from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and lunch will be served from noon to 12:30 p.m.

Last year, about 3,000 meals were served to students in Sachse, said Liew, adding that the meal program is a way to continue providing adequate nutrition to students with food insecurity.

“We want to make sure the students have nutritious meals during the summer,” Liew said.

For the full story, see the June 16 issue of The Sachse News.