The food service department of the Picayune Municipal Separate School District will hold their summer feeding program from June 4 through July 13 in conjunction with the school district’s summer camp program.

Debbie Schmidt, director of food services for the school district, said that the federally funded food program is in its sixth year at Picayune, and is free to any child between birth and age 18, regardless of where the child is from.

“Even children from out of town who are visiting family are welcome,” said Schmidt.

Meals will be provided to adults that come with the children at a cost of $1.25 for breakfast and $2.25 for lunch.

Meals will be served weekdays at Nicholson Elementary and Southside Upper Elementary Schools. Breakfast will be from 8 a.m. until 9 a.m., and lunch will be from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

“The meals served will be nutritious, yet kid-friendly,” said Schmidt.

She says that guidelines aren’t as strict for the summer as they are during the school year. Fruits and vegetables will be served, but will be more along the lines of foods that children will enjoy.

Transportation will be provided for students who live within the school district.

“Kids in the schools have already been sent letters home to their parents,” said Schmidt. With those letters were forms for the parents to sign ad return. Once the forms have been returned, said Schmidt, the children will be assigned to buses and the buses will pick up the children.

While transportation is only for children within the district, children from all over are welcome to come eat, said Schmidt.

Schmidt said last year in the 28 days of the program, 19,111 meals were served to children from all over. The program averaged an attendance of 914 children daily between camp attendance and walk-ins.

For more information regarding the summer feeding program, contact Debbie Schmidt of food services at (601) 798-6711.