Free “SUN” Meals and Snacks For Kids

Caption: Deer Park Gazette Archive 2022 – Deer Park School District staff members at the middle school ready to give kids and teens free lunches. Photo By Deer Park Gazette

As summer begins, Deer Park and Riverside School Districts launch SUN Meals, offering free meals to kids 18 and under with convenient to-go options to families. Returning to the Deer Park Middle School location for its community lunch, this program ensures no child goes hungry while school is out.

With school out for the summer, Deer Park and Riverside School Districts have launched the SUN Meals program to ensure children continue receiving nutritious meals. SUN Meals, available to kids 18 and under, provides free breakfast and lunch at schools, parks, and other community locations. In addition, Deer Park School District and Riverside School District will run the new SUN Meals To-Go program, which offers a convenient pick-up option for families in rural areas and is designed to ensure that no child goes hungry during the summer months.

The SUN Meals program is the rebranding name of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Summer Food Service Program. It is federally funded and state-administered, adhering to USDA-established rules. These rules apply uniformly across all partnering organizations and are not specific to any local entity.

In our area, the Deer Park & Riverside School Districts along with the Spokane County Library District, are collaborating as partner organizations to provide meals. Kids do not need to be part of either the Deer Park or Riverside School District or the Spokane County Library District to participate. The SUN Meals program operates with specific schedules at different locations. Children can pick up the food without parents; however, depending on the area, there are also rules for parents and guardians to pick up without children. Childcare workers may not pick up meals for their customers.

Deer Park

Deer Park School District will have separate times and locations during summer school, including a Community Lunch time. After summer school gets out, there will only be one Community lunch location and time. This year, they have moved back to the Deer Park Middle School for its Community Lunch pick-up location. It’s important to know that Deer Park School District will have no meal service on June 19th, July 3rd, or 4th. Last year, due to a lack of participation from the community, the Deer Park Community Lunch ended early. To read more, you can go to News.dpgazette.com/2023/08/free-kids-summer-lunch-program-ended-early/.

Riverside

Riverside School District will provide a streamlined distribution system with multi-day food packs available for pick-up on Mondays and Thursdays, starting June 17th. Parents or guardians can pick up the meals by signing a one-time waiver, affirming the children are in their care. Riverside will not serve meals on June 19th and July 4th.

The USDA emphasizes the importance of children’s access to healthy food during the summer. With nearly 30 million children relying on school meals during the academic year, programs like SUN Meals support families and foster community health.

Below is a list of sites where children can receive free food. 

Deer Park School District 

Site Name and Address

Scheduled Dates

Meals/Times

Community Lunch

Session 1: 

Community Lunch

Deer Park Middle School

347 S. Colville

Deer Park, WA

Monday – Thursday

June 17th – July 18th

Friday’s Only

Breakfast and Lunch Multi-Day Food Packs

Lunch – 12:00pm to 12:30pm

Session 2: 

Community Lunch

Deer Park Middle School

347 S. Colville

Deer Park, WA

Monday and Thursday Only

July 22nd – August 16th

Breakfast and Lunch Multi-Day Food Packs

Lunch – 12:00pm to 12:30pm

Meals will be served during summer school at the following locations:     

Deer Park Elementary 

Cafeteria 

1500 E. “D” Street

Deer Park, WA

Monday and Thursday Only

June 17th – July 18th

Breakfast – 8:05am to 8:20am

Lunch – 11:40am to 12:00pm

Arcadia Elementary

Cafeteria 

1120 E. “D” Street

Deer Park, WA

Monday and Thursday Only

June 17th – July 18th

Breakfast – 8:00am to 8:15am

Lunch – 11:40am to 12:00pm

Deer Park Middle School

Cafeteria

347 S. Colville

Deer Park, WA

Monday and Thursday Only

June 17th – July 18th

Breakfast – 8:15am to 8:30am

Lunch – 11:35am to 11:50am

Deer Park High School

Commons

800 South Weber

Deer Park, WA

Monday and Thursday Only

June 17th – July 18th

Breakfast – 9:00am to 9:15am

Lunch – 11:30am to 11:45am

 

Spokane County Library District

Site Name and Address

Schedule Dates

Meals/Times

Deer Park Library 

208 S Forest Ave

Deer Park, WA

Monday – Friday

June 14th – August 28th

Afternoon Snack – 2:30pm to 5:30pm

Snacks must be eaten at the Library.

 

Riverside School District 

Site Name and Address

Schedule Dates

Meals/Times

Riverside Elementary 

3802 E. Deer Park-Milan Rd. Chattaroy, WA

Monday and Thursday Only

July 17th – August 16th

Breakfast and Lunch Multi-Day Food Packs

Lunch – 11:00am to 11:30am

 

People can find site locations and more information on summer meals for kids through the USDA Summer Food Service Program at: 

Featured Sponsor
Thank You For Your Support!

Related Articles

North Spokane Open Mic In-Person

Young poets will take center stage at the North Spokane Open Mic. They will share their original work in a supportive and welcoming environment. This event offers high school students a chance to build confidence before entering the world of competitive poetry slams.

Read More »

WA Saves Could Cost Business Owners

Most Washington businesses without an employer-sponsored retirement plan must register for WA Saves, starting July 1, 2027, the state’s new retirement savings program. WA Saves aims to help employees build financial security by requiring businesses to offer payroll-deducted Roth IRAs managed through the state. While beneficial for workers, the program raises concerns for employers, particularly small businesses.

Read More »

Dr. Ernest W Kettel

Dr. Ernest Walther Kettel died in his home peacefully with Jo Ann, his wife of 73 years, at his side on February 7th, 2025 at the age of 96.
He was born on October 8, 1928 at home in Wild Rose, North Dakota to Carl William Kettel and Orla (Kolke) Kettel.

Read More »

Celebrate Your Community At The Annual Art Show

The SCLD Community Art Show is back, inviting artists of all ages to showcase their creativity and love for their community. Free miniature canvases will be available at Spokane County Libraries throughout February. This year’s theme, Celebrate Your Community, encourages participants to highlight what makes their hometown special.

Read More »

GreenHouse Food & Clothing Bank Change Of Hours

The GreenHouse Food and Clothing is once again adjusting its hours, this time reducing service availability and shifting to an earlier schedule. However, food bank representatives encourage those with scheduling conflicts to reach out for potential accommodations.

Read More »

Slideshow: WinterFest 2025

Deer Park’s WinterFest 2025 brought the community together with fun traditions like outhouse races, a bustling craft fair, and live music. Check out our online gallery.

Read More »

Share this!

Featured Sponsor
Thank You For Your Support!

Share this!

Featured Sponsor
Thank You For Your Support!

Read more news.

WinterFest Honored Citizens 2025: The Watsons

Doug and Karen Watson, known for their decades of dedication to the Deer Park community through volunteerism and leadership, have been named the 2025 WinterFest Honored Citizens. This recognition acknowledges their significant contributions to preserving and enriching local traditions.

Read More »

This Weekend – Holiday Cheer and Christmas Events

Holiday magic is alive and well in Deer Park. Many festive events will bring the community together this weekend. From the holiday light parade and breakfast with Santa to nativity displays and theatrical performances, there’s something for everyone to enjoy this December.

Read More »

Subscribe to our emails

Use the form below to sign up to receive news via email at no cost to you.

Read & Support The

Local news to keep you informed and entertained. The Deer Park Gazette is locally owned and operated. When you support the Deer Park Gazette, you support local writers and photographers.