Free Meals for Children Offered at Maui PALS Sites

By Maui Now Staff

Free meals will be offered to children at all county PALS sites on Maui and Molokaʻi through the federally-funded USDA Summer Food Service Program.

Officials with the county Parks Department say kids do not have to be enrolled in the PALS program to take advantage of the free meals.

All youth up to 18 years old are eligible to receive a free meal any weekday from June 9 to July 18, 2014, with meals to be served on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Many children in Maui County receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year, but countless children do not get enough to eat when school is out,” said Brianne Savage, deputy parks director in a department press release. “The SFSP ensures that our keiki continue to grow and learn during the summer.”

According to information compiled by the Parks Department, the Summer Food Service Program is the largest federal resource available for local programs that combine meal time with recreational and educational activities.

For information on PALS locations offering meals, times of meals being offered, and instructions on how to participate in the meal count, contact your local PALS site coordinator.

If a site coordinator cannot be reached, interested individuals should contact Colette Baisa in advance at 270-7403.

***Correction: The county administration previously indicated a start date of June 4. The start date is June 9, according to a county official. The story above has been amended to reflect this.