Here’s where Arkansas parents can find free meals for children over summer

LITTLE ROCK, Ark — It is a custom for Shyann Simmons earlier than each huge journey. She packs snacks and sandwiches for her kids, as hotdogs cooking on the range. 

Her fridge is stocked filled with meals objects that she’s grateful for since she’s moved to Arkansas a month in the past. 

“I am a mom of 4. I’ve struggled earlier than a couple of occasions with questioning had been we going to have sufficient meals to final by the month,” stated Simmons.

That single month of fear simply turns into three over the summer time months when you will have an 11-year-old, 7 year-old, 3-year-old and 1-year-old which can be out college or daycare for the summer time. 

She stated lots of the meals objects they’ve had been donated from meals pantries. 

It was packages and organizations previously which have helped her when her household was in want outdoors of the state. 

“So packages that assist present meals for the youngsters, particularly in the course of the summer time and even in the course of the college days– free and diminished meals– all of that has been a giant assist to my household,” stated Simmons.

With inflation and provide shortages impacting all elements of life, quite a lot of kids are nonetheless in want of being fed. It is one thing that organizations like Be Mighty Little Rock are noticing. 

“It is actually essential, particularly now greater than ever with the price of inflation, with the difficulty of sourcing meals. I believe it’s actually essential to supply members of our group with actually trusted secure areas,” stated Jasmine Zandi, a coordinator with Be Mighty Little Rock.

This system goals to behave as metropolis vast marketing campaign that gives younger children and teenagers with free meals. Be Mighty Little Rock is introduced collectively by the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) and works to distribute meals from 11 of their native libraries all through the summer time.

It is a group effort to get the meals as Zandi stated they get their meals by sponsors who’ve been fighting outsourcing and paying for meals. 

“That is been tough on our finish, we’ve that staffing scarcity [which] is what we’re experiencing so we do not at all times have workers obtainable to remain on web site whereas of us are consuming meals. Which means our distribution occasions are somewhat shorter than common,” stated Zandi. 

So far as places for the meals, you’ll find the native libraries, together with respective occasions right here:

Monday- Saturday from June 1, 2022 – August 20, 2022. Youngsters have to be current and meals have to be consumed on web site:

• Youngsters’s Library and Studying Heart positioned at 4800 W. tenth St., Little Rock | Breakfast: 9:00-9:30 a.m. & Lunch: 12:30-1:30 p.m.
• Dee Brown Library positioned at 6325 Baseline Dr., Little Rock | Lunch: 12:00-12:30 p.m.
• Fletcher Library positioned at 823 N. Buchanan St., Little Rock | Lunch: 11:15-11:45 a.m.
• Essential Library positioned at 100 Rock St., Little Rock | Breakfast: 9:00-9:30 a.m. & Lunch: 12:30-1:30 p.m.
• Maumelle Library positioned at 10 Lake Pointe Drive, Maumelle | Breakfast: 10:00-10:45 a.m. & Lunch: 2:30-3:30 p.m.
• McMath Library positioned at 2100 John Barrow Rd., Little Rock | Lunch: 12:15-12:45 p.m.
• Nixon Library positioned at 703 West Essential St., Jacksonville | Lunch: 11:30-12:30 p.m.
• Rooker Library positioned at 11 Otter Creek Ct., Little Rock | Lunch: 12:00-1:00 p.m.
• Sanders Library positioned at 10200 Johnson Dr., Sherwood | Lunch: 11:15-12:15 p.m.
• Terry Library positioned at 2015 Napa Valley Dr., Little Rock | Lunch: 11:30-12:30 p.m.
• Williams Library positioned at 1800 Chester St., Little Rock | Breakfast: 9:00-10:00 a.m. & Lunch: 1:00-2:00 p.m.

To seek for places all through Arkansas you may kind in your zip code, county or metropolis right here.

They’re additionally asking for summer time volunteers, which you’ll join right here when you’re .