Free breakfast and lunch available to children this summer
Two bagged lunches and an apple. Source: Adobe Stock
Two bagged lunches and an apple. Source: Adobe Stock
Children and teenagers 18-years-old and younger can get free breakfast and lunch through Wareham's summer food program from Wednesday, July 1 through Thursday, August 6.
Meals will be available Monday through Thursday each week at the front entrance Wareham High School at 7 Viking Drive and at the east entrance of Wareham Elementary School at 63 Minot Ave.
At the high school, breakfast will be distributed at the high school from 8:15 a.m. to 9 a.m. Lunch will be distributed from 11 a.m. to noon. At the elementary school, breakfast is from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and lunch will be from 11 a.m. to noon.
The program provides one bagged breakfast or lunch per child during each mealtime. According to Wareham Public School Food Services Director Mike Russo, every meal comes with a milk carton and a fruit or vegetable. Breakfasts include whole grains like a pastry or whole grain pop tart. Lunches will include a sandwich or wrap with some type of protein.
Every person under 18 can receive a free meal. Recipients do not need to be students at Wareham schools to get a free meal and there is no income requirement to qualify for the program.
According to Russo, meals are not grab-and-go. The food must be eaten at the distribution site, which will usually be outdoors.
Russo said if it rains or storms, program participants will be able to eat inside. He added that some families bring their children to eat the car, as long as they stay on-site while they eat the meal.
The program is part of the United States Department of Agriculture's Summer Food Service Program, which provides "nutritious meals" for kids and teens while school is out, according to the program's website.
After the program starts, Russo said that it will be offering "free summer bling" with each meal every Monday starting July 13.
Wareham has offered the free summer meals program for over a decade. In 2025, the program provided children with 6,949 breakfasts and 7,294 lunches, according to Russo.
