The Summer Meals Program for Marion County started this week.

All children 18 and under in the county are eligible for these free meals as part of the government funded program. There is also no enrollment or sign up. The first time you come to pick up meals regardless of the site you go to, all children must be present. The site will do a visual count of children with you and issue a car tag that you will use for all summer meal pick up. With the issued tag, parents, legal guardians, grandparents and siblings may pick up the meals. 

Menus are posted on the Knoxville Food Youth Initiative Facebook page here each Sunday prior to the start of the week. There will also be a QR code on the car tag that you can scan and it will show the menu. This year’s pickup sites and times below:

Knoxville – High School Front Drive 11:30-12:30 Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Bussey – City Hall Noon – 1:00 Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Pleasantville – UMC Community Building 11:30 – 12:30 Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Pella – Public Library 11:30 – 12:30 Tuesday and Thursday (Pick up in alley)

Melcher-Dallas – Sacred Heart Catholic Church Noon – 12:30 pm Monday, Wednesday, Friday

The Melcher-Dallas site will only provide meals for children who qualified for free or reduced lunches last year at Melcher-Dallas CSD. If you don’t qualify for the Melcher site you are able to pick up from any of the other four sites. The Pella site is an expansion from last year. 

Verlin Goodyk with the Knoxville Food Youth Initiative says these meals are important for the families in our community.

“It’s very important for children to be able to get food all summer long. If they don’t get food very much and they go to school, they aren’t ready to study. It’s also a benefit for the family to get more time together. The mom doesn’t have to get food ready for the night before when she is working. There is a lot of benefits all the way around for people who take advantage of this program.”

Hear more from Goodyk on an upcoming Let’s Talk Knoxville.