DAVID MAMARIL HOROWITZ

david.horowitz@bgdailynews.com

The Bowling Green and Warren County school systems have released their summer schedules to serve meals to any children up to 18 — with Warren County Public Schools bolstering its usual summer offerings.

The USDA-funded programs, at WCPS and Bowling Green Independent School District, have served thousands in the first days.

In a new program, WCPS is passing out six days’ worth of meals at five sites that WCPS qualified for due to rural need, according to Allie White, from WCPS Nutrition and Dining. Children can access these once a week here:

Alvaton Elementary: Mondays from June 2-July 21, 10 to 11:30 a.m.

North Warren Elementary: Mondays from June 2-July 21, 12:15 to 2 p.m.

Warren East Middle: Tuesdays from June 3-July 22, 9:30 to 11 a.m.

South Warren Middle: Tuesdays from June 3-July 22, 12 to 2 p.m.

Cumberland Trace Elementary: Tuesdays from June 3-July 22, 3 to 5 p.m.

For these sites, student names and addresses are collected to ensure the district is being good stewards of taxpayer money, White said.

It’s also offering on-site meals at two schools, where it’s also hosting camps and community education programs, per White:

Jennings Creek Elementary: Monday through Friday from June 2-July 24, 8 to 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Closed July 4)

Bristow Elementary: Monday through Friday from June 2-27, 8 to 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

WCPS is also working to serve meals at three sites along a school bus route, Monday through Friday from June 2-July 25, with a July 4 closure. The school system experienced some bus issues early on and served hundreds of meals by making do, such as through White’s personal vehicle Monday. These are:

One Smith Road: 10:15-10:45 a.m.

1009 Bryant Way : 11:15-11:45 a.m.

1313 Blue Lake Way: 12:15-12:45 p.m.

Multiple children from the same household can each qualify for these services, White confirmed. Whether in preschool, homeschooled or from another district, they qualify all the same so long as they meet the age requirement, she added.

BGISD is offering on-site breakfast and lunch at Bowling Green High School, Dishman McGinnis and Parker-Bennett Curry as well as along routes to be served by a purple bus and a van operated by BGISD. These locations, where BGISD is providing meals to be eaten on site, will be available June 2-Aug. 1 and closed July 3-4.

These school sites are open Monday through Friday, with breakfast from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.:

Bowling Green High School

Dishman McGinnis

Parker-Bennett-Curry

Children eating at the schools can have as many fruits and vegetables as they’d like, BGISD Child Nutrition Coordinator Miranda Pierce said.

The purple bus is set up like a diner, where children can get on and access games and books, Pierce added.

BGISD is delivering lunch Monday through Friday at:

Lisa Rice Library: 11:20 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Creekwood Apartments: 12:30 to 12:50 p.m.

Russell Sims Aquatic Center: 1:00 to 1:15 p.m.

The BGISD van will deliver lunch Monday through Friday, with one exception, at:

International Center of Kentucky: 10:00 to 10:35 a.m. (Monday-Thursday)

Garden Apartments: 10:50 to 11:10 a.m.

Phenix Place: 11:15 to 11:30 a.m.

T. C. Cherry Elementary: 11:40a to 11:55 a.m.

Circus Square Park: 12:05 to 12:30 p.m.

Abel Court: 12:35 to 12:50 p.m.

West End Park: 12:55 to 1:10 p.m.

BGISD is also setting up picnic tables and areas for eating along the routes, Pierce said.

While the program intends to serve children, adults present who want to purchase a meal are welcome to, Pierce said.

Proof of names isn’t required, she said.

“Our goal is to serve every kid one meal,” Pierce said.

Kentucky also has a summer EBT program that can supplement these meal services, accessible at summerebt.org or KYSEBT.ky.gov. The Kentucky benefits website is kynect.ky.gov. Region residents can anonymously get connected to resources regionwide free of charge by calling 211, which reaches the nonprofit United Way of Southern Kentucky.