With summer on its way, it’s time to think about keeping children healthy while school is out. Healthy Lincoln County is sponsoring the Lincoln County Summer Meals program for the sixth straight year. Healthy meals will be provided to all children without charge. There is no registration required, and no paperwork. Healthy Lincoln County partners with several community organizations to make breakfast and/or lunch available for not only the kids enrolled in summer programs, but also any child who shows up to the site.

“All of Lincoln County’s meal sites are open to any child at meal times, and oftentimes kids who stop by for a meal end up staying awhile for the fun of it,” says Kate Marone, Director of Healthy Lincoln County.

The program is funded by the USDA, and administered by the Maine Department of Education. It is also supported locally by a mini-grant from Good Shepherd Food Bank and by a fundraising initiative this spring by Newcastle resident, Alain Ollier who ran in the Boston Marathon and raised funds as part of his training.

Last summer, the program provided over 12,500 healthy, free meals to children in this region. The meals are the same for all children regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.

Meals will be provided at several sites. While most sites will be serving meals throughout the summer, those with an *asterisk will only be operating for a short, specific period of time. This year’s summer meals sites include (in alphabetical order): Boothbay-Clifford Park; Boothbay Harbor-Camp Knickerbocker; Boothbay Region YMCA; Damariscotta-CLC YMCA; Damariscotta- Great Salt Bay School*; Damariscotta-Skidompha Library; Jefferson Village School*; Jefferson-Hidden Valley Nature Center*; Warren Elementary/ACES; Waldoboro-Miller School; Wiscasset Recreation Center.

Some sites begin serving meals as early as June 21, and others begin June 26. More information and the full schedule can be found on the Lincoln County Summer Meals Facebook page, or at www.healthylincolncounty.org/meals.html