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The Portland Public Schools and partners will be serving meals and planning activities at several locations in Portland from June 25 through August 24.

The district is partnering with the YMCA, Salvation Army, Ocean Avenue Summer School, the City of Hope on Allen Avenue and the Preble Street Maine Hunger Initiative to offer the free summer meals program at these sites and times:

• Salvation Army, 297 Cumberland Avenue, 8 a.m. breakfast, noon lunch, Monday through Friday.
• YMCA, 70 Forest Avenue, lunch at noon, Monday through Friday.
• City of Hope (White Memorial), 97 Allen Avenue, lunch at 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Ocean Avenue School, July 9 - August 9, 7:45 a.m. breakfast, 11:15 a.m. lunch, Monday through Thursday.

To find many additional sites across the city, please call 211 or 699-3321.

Meals will be provided to all children 18 years and younger to be eaten at the site.  The program also will offer activities at each location from full summer day camps to short activities just at the meal time.

“More than 12,000 of the students in Cumberland County schools are at risk of hunger during an average school week,” said Ron Adams, the Portland Public Schools’ food service director.  “That risk increases in the summer, when they don’t have access to school breakfast and lunch.  These new sites will provide healthy and nutritious meals to children from Portland and surrounding communities.”

Funding for the program is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program, with substantial support from Wayside Food Program.  There will be no cost to the Portland Public Schools.

The menu will be posted on the Portland Public Schools’ website (www.portlandschools.org).  Meals will be provided to all children without charge and are the same for all children regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.  There will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.

Children under 18 also may receive free lunches during the summer through the Opportunity Alliance Summer Food Service Program, run by Kids Katering.  Lunches are provided at 20-plus locations.  More information is available at 871-8810.

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.  (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave, SW, Wash. DC  20250-9410 or call 800-795-3272 OR(202) 720-6387(TTY).  USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.