Summer at McKenzie: Preparing for a New School Year School May Be Out, But Meals Are Still On

When most people think about summer break, they picture classrooms sitting empty and students enjoying a well earned vacation. While the pace of the school year certainly changes, one important part of our mission continues throughout the summer, making sure children have access to nutritious meals.

For many students, school is more than a place to learn. It is also a place where they receive healthy, consistent meals each day. We know that hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation, and neither does our commitment to supporting children and families throughout the McKenzie Valley.

That’s why we’re proud to offer the McKenzie School District Summer Meal Program.

The program provides free take-home meals for every child and teen ages 0–18. There are no income requirements, no applications to complete, and children do not need to attend McKenzie River Community School to participate. Whether your family lives in the McKenzie Valley year-round, is visiting relatives, camping nearby, or simply passing through our community, we want every child to have access to healthy meals this summer.

Unlike a traditional summer meal site where children eat on location, our program offers convenient take-home meal packages twice each week. Families can pick up several breakfasts and lunches at one time, helping provide meals throughout the week. Tuesday distributions include breakfasts and lunches for Tuesday through Thursday, while Thursday pickups provide meals for Friday through Monday.

To make the program as accessible as possible, meals are available at two locations within the valley:

● Everyone’s Market in Vida — Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00–10:00 a.m.

● Lazy Days in Blue River — Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

The menus include a variety of breakfast and lunch options that children are familiar with and enjoy. Breakfasts may include cereal, breakfast pizza, breakfast bars, fresh fruit, juice, and milk. Lunch selections rotate among items such as cheese pizza, bean and cheese burritos, turkey and cheese sandwiches, beef patties, Mandarin orange chicken rice bowls, fresh fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious sides. Menus may vary slightly based on product availability, but every meal is planned to help children stay healthy and energized throughout the summer.

Programs like this don’t happen without dedicated people. I would like to thank our Nutrition Services staff for the tremendous amount of planning and work that goes into preparing, packaging, and distributing these meals. Their efforts ensure that children throughout our community continue receiving healthy meals all summer long.

One of the things I appreciate most about McKenzie is our efforts to serve our community. Our responsibility doesn’t end when classes are dismissed in June. Whether we’re serving meals, maintaining facilities, planning for the upcoming school year, or supporting families in other ways, we remain committed to serving the children of the McKenzie Valley throughout the entire year.

If you know a family with children who could benefit from the Summer Meal Program, please help us spread the word. Sometimes the greatest service we can provide is simply making sure people know resources are available.

For additional information about the Summer Meal Program, families may contact Lacey Joy at 541-822-1110 or lacey.joy@mckenziesd.org.

Thank you for your continued support of McKenzie schools as we continue serving students throughout the summer.