Summer is fast approaching, but school kitchens aren’t winding down.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual Summer Nutrition Program for Kids keeps vital meal services running through the summer for children of all ages.
And, Indianapolis is expected to have dozens of locations serving up the free meals this summer.
How does it work? The USDA partners with schools, parks, community centers and more to offer free meals to students from any school. There’s no income requirements to participate. Students must be 18 or younger to receive the meals.
Service times vary by location. Some offer just breakfast or lunch, and some offer both. At most locations, meals must be eaten on-site — meaning you’ll have to make plans to travel to a participating school or community center during their hours of operation.
Some rural programs offer meals to go, and some providers get creative. Indianapolis Public Schools, Indy Parks and Wayne Township Schools, for example, run mobile meal programs where buses or vans deliver meals to local parks and apartment complexes.
This year’s summer nutrition program comes following news that Indiana will not participate this year in SUN Bucks, a federal EBT — or electronic benefits transfer — program that provides $120 per child to low-income families to help buy groceries in the summer.
Officials in Gov. Mike Braun’s administration said past leadership missed planning deadlines for the federal program. Braun took office in January.
Families issued SUN Bucks EBT cards in 2024 have been advised that their cards are now expired and can be thrown away. State officials are now directing families to the network of USDA programs run out of schools and community centers.
A statewide map of participating summer food service program locations is available online. Families can also call the USDA National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE, or text “summer” or “verano” to 914-342-7744 for assistance finding a program.
Several local partners are providing information about their programs. All times, dates and locations are updated as of June 3, but could change throughout the summer so it’s best to check in with a program directly to confirm their meal services are available.
Indianapolis Public Schools sites 🔝
Dozens of locations in and near Center Township will serve free meals this summer through IPS and Indy Parks programs.
IPS is opening several of its schools as well as making mobile food delivery stops to four community sites. All locations began serving meals on June 2, but times and program end dates vary by location.
Meals will not be served on June 19 nor July 4 in observance of Juneteenth and the Fourth of July. All locations serve meals Monday through Friday.
IPS’ school locations include:
- James Whitcomb Riley School 43
📍 150 W. 40th St. (Enter Door 9)
🍳 Breakfast at 9:30-9:45 a.m. through June 27
🍕 Lunch at 1-1:30 p.m. through June 27 - Brookside School 54
📍 3150 E. 10th St. (Enter Door 8)
🍳 Breakfast at 9:30-9:45 a.m. through June 27
🍕 Lunch at 1-1:30 p.m. through July 25 - Christian Park School 82
📍 4700 English Ave. (Enter Door 5)
🍳 Breakfast at 9:30-9:45 a.m. through June 27
🍕 Lunch at 1-1:30 p.m. through July 25 - Charles Fairbanks School 105
📍 8620 Montery Road (Enter Door 6)
🍳 Breakfast at 9:30-9:45 a.m. through June 27
🍕 Lunch at 1-1:30 p.m. through July 25 - Lew Wallace School 107
📍 3307 Ashway Drive (Enter Door 6)
🍳 Breakfast at 9:30-9:45 a.m. through June 27
🍕 Lunch at 1-1:30 p.m. through June 27 - Shortridge High School
📍 3401 N. Meridian St. (Enter Door 1)
🍳 Breakfast at 7:45-8 a.m. through June 20
🍕 Lunch at noon to 12:30 p.m. through June 20 - Arsenal Tech High School
📍 1500 E. Michigan St. (Enter Door 3)
🍳 Breakfast at 7:45-8 a.m. through June 20
🍕 Lunch at noon to 12:30 p.m. through June 20 - Crispus Attucks High School
📍 1140 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. (Enter Door 12)
🍳 Breakfast at 7:45-8 a.m. through June 20
🍕 Lunch at noon to 12:30 p.m. through June 20 - George Washington High School
📍 2215 W. Washington St. (Enter Door 2)
🍳 Breakfast at 7:45-8 a.m. through June 20
🍕 Lunch at noon to 12:30 p.m.
IPS also serves several community sites using a mobile meal service. Some of these locations only offer lunch.
A van will stop at these locations Monday through Friday:
- Haughville Library Branch
📍 2121 W. Michigan St.
🍕 Lunch only at 1:15-1:35 p.m. through July 25 - Martin Luther King Community Center
📍 40 W. 40th St.
🍳 Breakfast at 9-9:30 a.m. through July 25
🍕 Lunch at noon to 12:20 p.m. through July 25 - Stratford Apartments
📍 3201 Watergate Road
🍕 Leasing Office: Lunch only at 11-11:20 a.m. through July 25
🍕 Clubhouse: Lunch only at 11:35-11:55 a.m.
For more information on IPS’ Summer Meal Service, visit the district’s website.
Indy Parks sites 🔝
Indy Parks also organizes a summer food program with fixed locations as well as five mobile units that stop at parks and libraries across Indy. Their program runs Monday through Friday, May 27 through July 25.
These are Indy Parks’ fixed location meal sites:
- BRAVE Music Enterprises
📍 3969 Meadows Drive
🍕 Noon to 1 p.m. - Broad Ripple Park
📍 1610 Broad Ripple Ave.
🍳 10:30 a.m. to noon - Christ Missionary Church
📍 1001 Eugene St.
🍕 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Christian Park
📍 4200 English Ave.
🍕 Noon to 2 p.m. - Ellenberger Park
📍 5301 E. St. Clair St.
🍕 Noon to 12:30 p.m. - Frederick Douglass Park
📍 1616 E. 25th St.
🍕 Noon to 12:45 p.m. - Garfield Park
📍 2345 Pagoda Drive
🍕 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. - Krannert Park
📍 605 S. High School Road
🍕 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Riverside Park
📍 2420 E. Riverside Drive
🍕 Noon to 2 p.m. - Watkins Park
📍 2360 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St.
🍕 3-4 p.m. - Windsor Village Park
📍 6510 E. 25th St.
🍕 Noon to 1 p.m.
Five mobile units begin travel just before lunchtime and run through early evening, meaning you could pick up a lunch, late afternoon meal or early dinner.
Here’s where mobile units will be this summer:
11-11:30 a.m.
- East 38th Street Branch library
📍 5420 E. 38th St. - Laurelwood Apartments
📍 3340 Teakwood Drive - Rev. Charles R. Williams Park
📍 3242 Sutherland Ave. - Haughville Park
📍 520 N. Belleview Place - Woodhaven Park apartments
📍 6363 Commons Drive
Noon to 12:30 p.m.
- Beechwood Gardens apartments
📍 2915 N. Graham Ave. - Clayton & LaSalle Park
📍 401 S. LaSalle St. - Blackburn Terrace apartments
📍 3091 Baltimore Ave. - Eagle Branch library
📍 3905 Moller Road - Northwestway Park
📍 5253 W. 62nd St.
1-1:30 p.m.
- Martindale-Brightwood Branch library
📍 2434 N. Sherman Drive - Frank and Judy O’Bannon Park
📍 1001 E. 16th St. - Arsenal Park
📍 1400 E. 46th St.
2:30-3 p.m.
- Wes Montgomery Park
📍 3400 N. Hawthorne Lane - Brookside Pool
📍 3510 Brookside Parkway South Drive - Andrew Ramsey Park
📍 310 W. 42nd St. - Gustafson Pool
📍 3110 Moller Road - Bel-Aire Park
📍 2901 S. Mooresville Road
3:15-3:45 p.m.
- Bowman Park
📍 3600 Auburn Road
3:30-4 p.m.
- Grassy Creek Park
📍 10510 E. 30th St. - Commons Park
📍 2204 E. New York St. - Tarkington Park
📍 45 W. 40th St. - Bluff Park
📍 555 W. Hanna Ave.
4-4:30 p.m.
- Centennial & Groff Park
📍 2300 N. Centennial St.
4:30-5 p.m.
- Jake Greene Park
📍 1700 N. Franklin Road - Stanley Strader Pool
📍 2850 Bethel Ave. - Bertha Ross Park
📍 3700 Clifton St. - Riverside Adventure Park
📍 3502 N. White River Parkway West Drive
Times listed may change. You can reach out to the Indy Parks Customer Service Center at 317-327-PARK for more information or visit Indy Parks’ free meals program website.
Warren Township schools sites 🔝
The Warren Township school district provides breakfast, lunch and supper meals on the east side.
Dates and times vary by location and meals will not be served on June 19 or July 4 in observance of Juneteenth and the Fourth of July. Meals will be served Monday through Friday in all locations except the Caring Place, which opens only on Wednesdays.
Locations include:
- Brookview Elementary
📍 1550 N. Cumberland Road
🍕 Lunch at noon to 1 p.m. June 9-27 - Pleasant Run Elementary
📍 1800 N. Franklin Road
🍳 Breakfast at 8-9 a.m. June 9 to July 18
🍕 Lunch at noon to 1 p.m. June 9 to July 18 - Stonybrook Middle School
📍 11300 Stonybrook Drive
🍳 Breakfast at 8:30-9:30 a.m. June 9 to July 11
🍕 Lunch at noon to 1 p.m. June 9 to July 11 - Moorhead Community Resource Center
📍 8400 E. 10th St.
🍳 Breakfast at 7:30-8:15 a.m. June 16 to July 18
🍕 Lunch at noon to 1 p.m. June 16 to July 18 - Ransburg YMCA
📍 501 N. Shortridge Road
🍳 Breakfast at 8:30-9 a.m. June 2 to July 18
🍕 Lunch 12:30-1 p.m. June 2 to July 18 - Caring Place
📍 2901 N. Post Road
🍕 Supper at 4:30-5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, June 4 to July 16
For more information, visit the Warren Township schools website or follow @WarrenStudentNutrition on Facebook and Instagram.
Wayne Township schools sites 🔝
Wayne Township Schools will provide meals to students Monday through Friday from June 9 to July 18 with the exception of two locations.
North Wayne Elementary and Westlake Elementary will end early on June 27. Across the district, meals will not be served on June 19 or July 4 in observance of Juneteenth and the Fourth of July.
The Wayne Township school district offers both mobile delivery services to several neighborhood apartment complexes and community partners, as well as in-school services. The district offers only lunch at its locations.
Mobile delivery locations include:
- 10 West Apartments
📍 7855 Cimarron Trail
🍕 Noon to 12:30 p.m. - The Boardwalk at Westlake apartments
📍 6000 WestLake Drive
🍕 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. - Carriage House West
📍 1301 N. Whitcomb Ave.
🍕 11-11:30 a.m. - Chapel Hill Apartments
📍 7452 Bentley Drive
🍕 10:45-11:15 a.m. - Cloverleaf Apartments
📍 835 Cloverleaf Terrace
🍕 1-1:30 p.m. - Covington Apartments
📍 115 S. High School Road
🍕 10:45-11:15 a.m. - Heather Ridge apartments
📍 3245 Heather Ridge Drive
🍕 11-11:30 a.m. - Mariners Village Apartments
📍 7135 Islander Drive
🍕 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. - Mount Olive United Methodist Church
📍 1449 S. High School Road
🍕 12:15-12:45 p.m. - Pondarosa
📍 3559 Cossell Road
🍕 11:30 a.m to noon - Skyway mobile homes
📍 2952 Skyline Drive
🍕 12:45-1:15 p.m. - Stout Field Park
📍 3820 W. Bradbury Ave.
🍕 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - The Hills Apartments
📍 5515 Pleasant Hill Circle
🍕 12:30-1 p.m. - The Park at Greenhill
📍 59 Port O Call Drive
🍕 12:30-1 p.m. - Wayne Branch library
📍 198 S. Girls School Road
🍕 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. - West Glen Village
📍 1207 Rushmore Blvd. East
🍕 12:30-1 p.m. - Windsor Park Apartments
📍 6764 Lambert St.
🍕 11:30 a.m. to noon
In-school locations include:
- Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center
📍 1150 N. Girls School Road
🍕 11:30 a.m. to noon - Ben Davis University High School
📍 1155 S. High School Road
🍕 12:45-1:15 p.m. - Bridgeport Elementary
📍 9035 W. Morris St.
🍕 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. - Maplewood Elementary
📍 1643 Dunlap Ave.
🍕 11:15-11:45 a.m. - North Wayne Elementary
📍 6950 W. 34th St.
🍕 11:15-11:45 a.m. - Rhoades Elementary
📍 502 S. Auburn St.
🍕 11-11:30 a.m. - Westlake Elementary
📍 271 N. Sigsbee St.
🍕 11:15-11:45 a.m.
For information, including meal menus, visit the Wayne Township schools’ nutrition services website.
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Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact her at carley.lanich@mirrorindy.org or follow her on X @carleylanich.
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