More than 43,000 meals served in 'Kids Eat Free' Program

Many children depend on school lunch and are at risk of going hungry when school is not in session. For that reason, Children's Mercy has participated in the USDA Summer Food Service Program since 2016.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the USDA allowed all summer meal programs to begin early and continue through the school year. From March 2020 through August 2021, the Children’s Mercy "Kids Eat Free" program served 43,483 meals at multiple locations throughout the metro area. That’s a record of 73 weeks for a program that usually operates for 10 weeks during summer months only! 

To better serve families during these difficult times, community partnerships were leveraged to provide not only nutritious lunches, but also bags of fresh fruit and vegetables, book and reading kits from the Kansas City Public Library, and free gun locks at some locations.

Since this program started over 5 years ago, 66,765 meals have been served. The Kids Eat Free program will return next summer.

Learn more about the Kids Eat Free Program at Children's Mercy.