CALDWELL, Idaho — Free breakfast and lunch are available to all children this summer through the Caldwell School District's Summer Meals Program, helping families save money while ensuring kids get proper nutrition.
"You don't even have to be enrolled in the Caldwell School District to be here," said Nathaly Gibson, the district's child nutrition director.
Watch the full story to learn how the program supports Caldwell families:
Gibson says the program fills a critical need in the community.
"They can always expect a nutritious meal," Gibson said.
The program helps parents stretch their budgets during summer months when school meals aren't typically available.
"The summer feeding program is a great opportunity to reduce the nutritional gap that children in our community face when school is out," Gibson said.
For Gibson, the program is personal, allowing children to experience foods that might otherwise be out of reach.
"I personally appreciate the fact that we can use things like strawberries and kiwis because in my household growing up, I didn't get those things because they were too expensive, they didn't last long, so I appreciate to be able to show those to the students," Gibson said.
Each meal meets strict nutritional guidelines while still appealing to kids' tastes.
"Things like burgers, pizza, it sounds like it's not healthy, but it's whole fast and whole grain," Gibson said.
Diverse cultural foods make the program welcoming for all families.
"We bring in different foods from different cultures, and they may be new or they may be something that they're used to, but either way, it's something that the students enjoy. We want to feed the children a nutritious meal, we are just here to support our community," Gibson said.
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