Free meals for all people 18 and under!

The McKinleyville Union School District and Arcata School District are distributing free meals to all people age 18 and under. To receive meals, students don’t have to be enrolled in the McKinleyville or Arcata school districts.

The program started Tuesday and will continue until Dec. 18, 2020. Children or parents can pick up the meals. Each pickup includes breakfast and lunch, and locations that distribute meals only three days a week provide two days’ worth of meals on Mondays and Wednesdays. Pickup locations and times are as follows:

• McKinleyville Middle School on Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 7:15 to 8:20 a.m.
• Morris Elementary School on Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 7:15 to 8:20 a.m.
• Dow’s Prairie Elementary School on Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 7:15 to 8:20 a.m.
• Arcata Elementary School every weekday from 12:20 to 1:00 p.m.
• Sunny Brae Middle School every weekday from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m.
• Humboldt Plaza Apartments every weekday from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m.
• Greenview Park from 12:30 to 12:40 p.m.
• Manila Park from 12:50 to 1:00 p.m.

These services are a continuation of a free meal program that happened in the spring and summer. After the McKinleyville and Arcata school districts had to tell families that free meal services could not carry on in the fall, the US Department of Agriculture announced that districts could provide meals to the community again.

“It’s been confusing for the families, so we want to clarify,” said Carson Brady, who is director of Food Services for both districts. “We’ve seen a significant drop in meals served since school started.”