On Saturday, Seattle residents joined U.S. Representative Jim McDermott and Walmart executive Jennifer Spall for a community celebration to mark the start of the Summer Food Service Program, which offers free meals and snacks for kids.

Thousands of Seattle children ages 1 through 18 can enjoy free breakfasts and lunches this summer through the Seattle Human Services Department’s Summer Food Service Program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded program, also known as “Summer Sack Lunch,” is open to children at qualifying sites.

“When it comes to our kids, we must do everything possible to provide them the nutrition needed to be healthy, active and ready for the future," said Dannette R. Smith, director of the Seattle Human Services Department. "Working together with Walmart, Seattle Public Schools, and other community partners, we can make sure children have access to nutritious food year round.”

The program runs from Monday, June 27 through August 26, 2011 at approximately 90 sites across the city. These include designated community centers, Seattle park playgrounds, Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs and YWCAs, and other community sites throughout Seattle and parts of King County. There will be no service on the Independence Day holiday, July 4th, 2011.

For Ballardites, the closets site is Sandel Playground on 9053 1st Ave. NW where lunch is served Monday through Friday from noon until 1 p,m.

Thanks to a $225,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation, the 2011 program includes several enhancements:

· Books: The Seattle Public Library will provide fun and educational programming, such as story times in five different languages. Free books will also be given to children at story time sites;

· Fresh produce: The Puget Sound Food Network will help provide bags of fresh produce from local farms for families to take home for the weekend; and

· Saturday sites: Several meal sites will offer lunch on Saturdays as a pilot project

To learn more about the Summer Food Service Program, visit www.seattle.gov/humanservices/children_families/nutrition/summer_food.htm