By By Adrienne McKenzie
Atmore area residents 18 years and younger will be given the opportunity to have two free well-balanced meals a day from June 4 until June 29 at Escambia County High School in the lunchroom.
The Escambia County Board of Education Child Nutrition Department is sponsoring the summer food program this summer.
Child nutrition director Cynthia Rodgers said the meals will vary each day but that there will always be something to eat from every food group.
"Nutritional foods are offered," Rodgers said. "There will be choices from the five food groups-meat, bread, fruit, vegetables and milk. We will have a variety. Some days there will be hot meals and some days there will be sandwiches."
Rodgers said that in the past, the Atmore residents have responded well to the summer food program offered at the school.
"We have done it for several years," she said. "We have good participants in the Atmore area. The town kind of knows about this since we've been doing it for years. We are only going to do it the month of June this year though."
The time spent in the cafeteria for either breakfast or lunch could be seen as a way for children to eat healthier, but also as a way for them to have a good time.
"We hope everyone will participate," Rodgers said. "This is sort of a social hour for children."
Escambia County High School lunchroom manager Cindy Young said that the food must be eaten in the cafeteria and cannot be taken off-campus.
The school will serve breakfast from 7:30 a.m. until 9 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Brewton residents 18 and younger can participate in the program at W.S. Neal Middle School in the lunchroom.
For more information for Atmore's lunches call Young at 368-2341. For individuals in Brewton, call Lucille Howington at 867-8605.