EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — A Metro East school district is committed to keeping kids healthy and full during summer break.
East Louis School District 189 has made meals free and accessible to all families at eight of its 10 schools through the end of July.
Students do not need to be registered with the district to receive a meal.
“For example, if they’re in high school, they can still come to the preschool to get lunch if that’s the closest location to them or if it’s the most convenient for them,” said Sydney Stigge-Kaufman, executive director of communications.
“We want to provide meals for all of our children so they can have a healthy summer. A summer without wondering when my next meal is coming,” said Carla Deboe, food service specialist.
Carla DeBoe leads the district’s food services.
“I think innovatively about how we can get kids in and feed them nutritiously.”
DeBoe helped bring a food truck to the district in 2023 when participation in summer meals began to decline.
“We started at the same time… on two sites, it went well and it also increased our participation. The kids would come and get their food from the food truck and then eat it in the cafeteria.”
DeBoe presented options for families who want to experience the food truck.
“Philly chicken with fries. And we also have a fruit with it so it’s USDA approved. We have hot dogs, chicken.”
“We hope that families will take advantage of this to relieve some of the pressure they experience during the summer,” Stigge-Kaufman said.
Free breakfast and lunch are available, Monday through Friday, at the following schools:
Anyone 18 years of age or younger is eligible for a free breakfast or lunch.
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