These summer meal programs for kids gearing up as federal funding cuts loom
There are many children who rely on school lunches as a source of food, but in the summer months, that resource isn’t available. However, Boys and Girls Clubs of Whatcom County has a program to provide three meals a day (breakfast, lunch and snack) to all children 18 and under for free, Monday through Friday.
The program is designed for children in need, but is available to all children. The summer free meals are available June 23 through Aug 22 at 8:30 a.m., noon and 3:30 p.m. The meals are served at 1715 Kentucky St. in Bellingham and 2015 Cherry St. in Ferndale.
“There’s children out there that might have to go home and make their own dinner, they may have Top Ramen or something. It’s good that they can come here and get a good hot meal for their bellies,” said Christ Marat, nutrition director at the Whatcom County Boys and Girls Club. “I really just enjoy the looks on their faces. I have even had children bring me recipes of things that they would like for me to try that they have found on YouTube and such.”
The Boys and Girls Club isn’t the only organization that provides summer meals. Many school districts have similar programs including the Bellingham School District, which has locations at Bellingham High School and Birchwood Elementary School, Monday through Thursday starting in June.
A full map of summer meal programs being offered in Whatcom County can be found through the interactive map called the Summer Meal State Finder on the United Way of King County website. The map is currently not showing any sites in Washington, but this will be updated when the sites become active around June 23, according to Madeleine Vistica, Food Security Program Manager at United Way.
The Boys and Girls Club follow U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines, which require meals to include a protein, a starch and a vegetable. Sometimes a fruit is included.
However, Marat told The Herald he wants to provide more than the bare minimum. He has made meatloaf, twice baked potatoes, Chicken Alfredo soup and six-hour pulled pork sandwiches, just to name a few. Not to say he doesn’t serve chicken nuggets and hamburgers at times, since they are foods nearly all kids enjoy.
“It’s a bit more prepwork but I do it for the kids and I want them to try different things and like other things that are maybe more of an adult type of meal,” Marat said. “Some parents don’t cook very well or get a lot of fast food. This is a chance for the kids to get a good, home-cooked meal.”
Marat spends about 5-6 hours a day preparing the meals for breakfast, lunch and snack, making about 100 of each every day.
The USDA provides some funding through the program, with the rest of the money coming from private donations. However, after recent cuts to the USDA by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Boys and Girls Clubs CEO Heather Powell is concerned about the program’s future.
On Feb. 14, the USDA announced the department had cut 78 contracts totaling $138 million at the request of DOGE, and was reviewing more than 1,000 others, describing them as “frivolous Biden-era contracts.”
“Children need access to high-quality foods, and USDA funding is a critical piece to ensure this happens for many of our community’s youth,” Powell told The Herald in an email.
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