DES MOINES, Iowa - Des Moines Public Schools is offering free breakfast and lunch to every child in the community. Anyone 1-to-18 years-old is eligible for the meals on every school day beginning next Tuesday (September 8).
The district believes the offering will help thousands of children.
Money for the meals is being supplied by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, which announced this week it would grant the no-cost meals to every child for as long as its funding lasts, which could be as late as December of this year.
Des Moines School students, along with families with young children, can pick up a grab-and-go breakfast and lunch at any DMPS elementary, middle or high school between 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. each school day. The meals are also being offered through drive-thru service at six middle schools (Harding, Hoyt, McCombs, Merrill, Meredith, and Weeks) for pickup from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
“It’s important to DMPS and the entire community that every child has enough to eat during this significant economic downturn,” DPMS Food and Nutrition Director Amanda Miller said. “We are encouraging every family, regardless of current income or enrollment, to find the DMPS school nearest to them and join us for a grab-and-go, no-cost breakfast and lunch on school days.”