About 40 children lined up to receive free meals on July 7 at R. L. Paschal High School.
Fort Worth ISD is working to fight food insecurity that is further evident during the summer months when children are out of school, the district’s Chief of Operations Joseph Coburn said.
The district’s summer feeding program does just that.
Children eat lunch on July 7 at R. L. Paschal High School, one of 63 summer feeding sites in Fort Worth. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A cafeteria worker sets out food on July 7 at R. L. Paschal High School, one of 63 summer feeding sites in Fort Worth. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A lunch tray and sides of corn sit under lights on July 7 at R. L. Paschal High School, one of 63 summer feeding sites in Fort Worth. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A summer lunch and breakfast menu sits on a counter on July 7 at R. L. Paschal High School, one of 63 summer feeding sites in Fort Worth. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Vegetables, fruit and juice sit on trays on July 7 at R. L. Paschal High School, one of 63 summer feeding sites in Fort Worth. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report)
“We’re super excited to be able to do it,” Coburn said. “First of all, it’s food insecurity and it doesn’t end just because the school year ended, and a lot of times for kids, it gets even worse.”
About 63 sites, including schools in the district, offer free summer meals for “children and teens ages 18 and younger, and enrolled students with disabilities up to 21 years old” every Monday through Thursday, according to the program’s site. Some schools offer breakfast, lunch and dinner and some only breakfast and lunch.
R. L. Paschal High School, 3001 Forest Park Blvd., offers breakfast meals from 9-9:30 a.m., and lunch from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday-Thursday through July 29.
If you go:
For a site map and hours, visit the Summer Meal Site Map.
Through federal funding, Fort Worth ISD is able to provide an estimated 200,000 meals this year. “I’m sure it’s probably putting some parents’ minds at ease, and certainly providing a service to these kids.There’s so many other people out there that are doing this. There are so many nonprofits and faith-based organizations that are trying to take care of our kids this summer,” Coburn said. “We try to put a kind of blanket around the city and make sure our kids are taken care of.”
Cristian ArguetaSoto is the community engagement journalist at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him by email or via Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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