For families in need of food and meal support, there are numerous options for assistance available across the region this summer. Several local school districts, as well as nonprofit and government organizations, are either offering their regular summer meals programs or starting new programs to alleviate some financial stress for families who have been impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Look for your school district below, or see our list of additional regional resources at the end of this article to find out how to receive free meals or get help paying for groceries this summer.

School Districts

Battle Ground School District

Similar to Battle Ground SD’s school closure meal program, children can pick up a free and nutritious sack lunch and breakfast items each week day between 11 a.m. and noon during the summer.

Grab-and-go meals are available to children ages 0–18 (Children do not need to be present).

When: 11 a.m. to noon on weekdays through August 21st, except where otherwise noted.

Where:

  • Battle Ground High School (until June 30th)
  • Prairie High School (until June 30th)
  • Glenwood Heights Primary (until June 30th)
  • Tukes Valley Primary (until June 30th)
  • Amboy Middle
  • Yacolt Primary
  • Pleasant Valley Primary
  • Captain Strong Primary
  • Daybreak Primary
  • Maple Grove Primary (until June 30th), then River HomeLink

Evergreen Public Schools

EPS is hosting the USDA Summer Food Service Program, providing free meals to children 18 and younger from June 22nd through August 28th. One grab-and-go breakfast and lunch may be picked up free each day, Monday through Friday, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. No on-site seated dining will be available.

School Sites:

  • Burton Elementary (14015 NE 28th St.)
  • Cascade Middle School (13900 NE 18th St.)
  • Covington Middle School (11200 NE Rosewood Ave.)
  • Crestline Elementary (13003 SE 7th St.)
  • Ellsworth Elementary (512 SE Ellsworth Road)
  • Hearthwood Elementary (801 NE Hearthwood Blvd.)
  • Harmony Elementary – 17404-A NE 18th St
  • Heritage High School (7825 NE 130th Ave.)
  • Mill Plain Elementary (400 NE 164th Ave.)
  • Silver Star Elementary (10500 NE 86th St.)

Green Mountain School District

Green Mountain does not have its own summer meal program, but GMSD families are welcome to pick up meals at Amboy Middle School in Battle Ground. Grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches can be picked up at Amboy MS between 11 a.m. and noon on weekdays through the end of June. More information will be shared by Green Mountain SD soon.

Longview Public Schools

Starting Monday, June 21st, Longview Public Schools will be transitioning to its regular summer meal program. Both breakfast and lunch will be distributed each day and the meals are free. Meals will be served at the following times and locations Monday through Friday.

  • 11:45 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Archie Anderson Park
  • 12 – 12:30 p.m.: Northlake Elementary, St Helens Elementary, Mint Valley Elementary, Monticello Middle School, Columbia Heights Elementary, Longview Teen Center.
  • 12:15 – 12:30 p.m.: Community House on Broadway.

Any child from birth to age 18 is eligible for free summer meals and must be present to pick meals up. If you have questions or need more information about the Longview summer meal program, please call the district nutrition office at (360) 575-7172.

Ocean Beach School District

Starting on Monday, June 29th, through Wednesday, August 19th, meal delivery service will occur on Mondays and Wednesdays. Multiple meals will be included in each delivery. To sign up for the summer meal delivery service, please call or email Barbara Puhl at (360) 642-3739 or district.secretary@oceanbeachschools.org.

Washougal School District

Washougal SD will continue food service programs into the summer, making sure that families who rely on our meal programs are supported.

WSD will have food service at Hathaway (630 24th St., Washougal, WA) from June 22–26, and July 6–August 14 from 11 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday.

Each Friday from 10 – 11 a.m. at Gause Elementary (1100 34th St., Washougal, WA), there will be a curbside pickup for a week’s worth of meals for youth who cannot come each day.

WSD will discontinue district sponsored meal service at Hamllik Park, Rockwood Terrace, and Cape Horn-Skye sites after June 19th.

WSD is partnering with the Unite! Washougal Community Coalition and generous community partners to provide adult meals at the same sites and times, as resources are available.

White Salmon Valley School District

Breakfasts and lunches will be available at no charge for children ages 18 years and under. Meal service will be offered each Wednesday in July. Children will receive five breakfast and five lunch meals at each weekly pickup.

Where: Henkle Middle School 480 NW Loop Rd., White Salmon, WA 98672

When: Meals are to be picked up from 6 – 10 a.m. on the following dates:

  • July 1 – Meals intended for July 1, 2, 3, 6, 7
  • July 8 – Meals intended for July 8, 9, 10, 13, 14
  • July 15 – Meals intended for July 15, 16, 17, 20, 21
  • July 22 – Meals intended for July 22, 23, 24, 27, 28
  • July 29 – Meals intended for July 29, 30, 31, August 3 & 4

Woodland Public Schools

Beginning June 29, meals will be available for pickup (meal delivery will not be offered over the summer break) from Woodland Middle School from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each weekday through the summer. Children must be present at the time of pickup to receive meals.

Additional Resources

If your school district is not listed above, see our list below for additional Southwest Washington food resources available this summer:

Boys and Girls Club of Southwest Washington

BGC of SW WA will be offering breakfasts and lunches for kids and teens 18 years old and younger from June 24th through August 14th. For more information, visit https://mybgc.org/summer-programs/.

Clark County Food Bank

SHARE – Vancouver Summer Meals Program

From late June through early August, SHARE-Vancouver will provide free summer grab-n-go style meals for children. Families can also call the Family Food Hotline 1-888-4-FOOD-WA or text FOOD/COMIDA to 877-877 receive up-to-date information about locations for free lunches for kids across the state.

Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) Emergency School Meals Program

Because of COVID-19, children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals at school are also eligible to receive additional food benefits. Any family with a child in grades K-12 who is eligible for free or reduced-price school meals can receive the benefits. 

P-EBT is for all students regardless of citizenship or immigration status. The only requirement is a child must be eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. 

There are two ways to get P-EBT: 

  1. Families with Basic Food (food stamps): Between June 28th and July 7th, P-EBT benefits will be added to the EBT card you already use. 
  2. Families with children who receive free or reduced-price school meals: You must complete a simple application before August 31st or the beginning of the new school year (whichever is later). 

For more information, and to apply for food benefits, visit https://www.washingtonconnection.org/home/. 

USDA

The USDA provides a number of resources, in both English and Spanish, to raise awareness in your community.

  • USDA Summer Meals Hotline at 1-866-348-6479. Families will receive assistance to find the location, meal times, and contact information for summer meals based on their full address, city, and/or zip code.
  • USDA Summer Meals Finder at www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks. This website is easy for families to use as they can access summer meals locations by entering their zip code.