Members of the Women’s Ministry of Radford Church of God in Christ give out packs of snacks to kids at the recent kick off of the Radford school system’s Summer Feeding Program. Pictured is: Katrina Watson, Andrea Hammond, Christiana Carter, Sharon Smith and Delois Mickens.
Heather Bell
RADFORD – Radford City Public Schools are now offering free breakfast and lunch to kids in Radford as well as low cost meals for adults, from now through July 11.
The school system hosted a kick-off event last week at Belle Heth School with a free meal for families, free snacks for kids to take home and information for families about the summer meal sites and other programs to help families in need.
The federal summer feeding program “connects children to the nutrition they need during the summer months through meal sites,” according to Connie P. Wood, Radford City Public Schools nutrition director. “Meals are free to children and teens ages 18 and younger who come to the summer meals sites. No application or registration is required.”
“It’s important that people know about the summer meal sites available throughout the community,” said Wood. “For many kids, summer is the hungriest time of year. When schools close for the summer, school meals disappear as well.”
Families can text FOOD or COMIDA to 877-877 and type in a zip code to find nearby summer meals sites, along with operating days and times. No Kid Hungry organizes the texting service and updates the information weekly. Locations are also available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks.
Radford City Public Schools will host meal sites across the community this summer. Locations are listed below.
| LOCATION | MONDAY-THURSDAY | DATE |
| McHarg Elementary Schools
NRVCS |
Breakfast: 9-9:45 a.m.
Lunch: noon-12:30 p.m. |
June 10-July 24 |
| Radford Public School | Lunch served at library
noon-12:30 p.m. |
June 10-July 11 |
| Radford High School Academic
Dalton Intermediate School Beans & Rice |
Breakfast: 7:30-8 a.m.
Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-noon
Breakfast 8:45-9 a.m. Lunch 11:30 a.m.-noon |
July 8-11
July 15-18
July 23-26 July 29-31 |
| Radford High School
Band Camp |
Breakfast 8:45-9:05 a.m.
Lunch 10:45-11:05 a.m. |
June 6 |
| Belle Heth Elementary
Beans & Rice |
Breakfast 8:30-9 a.m.
Lunch noon-12:30 p.m. |
June 10-July 24 |
The school system also operates the Bobcat Mobile Café Feed & Read Bus. The bus will stop at locations Monday-Thursday from June 10-July 24. (The bus will be closed on July 4-5.)
| LOCATION | TIMING |
| Fairfax Village | 11-11:20 a.m. |
| Radford Rec. Center | 11:30-11:50 a.m. |
| Bisset Park Shelter #1 | noon-12:20 p.m. |
| Riverbend Apartments | 12:30-12:50 a.m. |
| Willow Woods | 1-1:20 p.m. |
| Rustic Village Mobile Home Park | 1:30-1:50 p.m. |