HOUSTON – Families in food insecure households who depend on free or reduced cost breakfast and lunch programs at their children’s schools have a lifeline to help feed their families over the summer. Programs like Kids’ Meals and Lunches of Love provide nutritious bagged meals to help fill the gap while school is out.
- Kids’ Meals - Every weekday during the school year, Kids’ Meals feeds more than 9,000 preschool-aged children to help provide healthy meals that are crucial for brain development by age five. Over the summer, the number of bagged lunches Kids’ Meals distributes grows to approximately 16,000 per day to also feed children up to age 18 who would not have access to lunch they normally receive at school. Kids’ Meals is building a 54,000 square foot facility in Spring Branch that would help them expand their reach to feed 26,000 children in the Greater Houston area per day by 2031. Kids’ Meals delivers meals directly to the homes of families in need.
- Lunches of Love - Serving families in Fort Bend County, Lunches of Love distributed their four-millionth free lunch to a child in need in July of 2021. Their weekend meal program serves more than 2,400 children. Lunches of Love also has a summer lunch program. The nonprofit is based in Rosenberg.
- Houston Food Bank Kids Cafe Summer Meal Program - According to their website, the Houston Food Bank provides more than 12,000 meals per day at more than 250 community sites through their Summer Food Service Program. Due to high demand, applications for the 2025 program are closed.
- Houston Parks and Rec Summer Lunch Program - Free meals are distributed to children 18 years and younger at community sites near schools where more than half of the students receive free or reduced cost lunch during the school year. The program is held Mondays through Fridays over the summer. Breakfast and lunch are offered on a first come, first served basis.
How to help:
Kids’ Meals tells KPRC 2 it can feed a hungry child for just under $2 per day. Lunches of Love’s sack lunches cost approximately $1.25 per day during the week and $2.75 per day for a weekend care package. You can donate to help the organizations purchase food at reduced costs from retailers.
Other ways to help include decorating paper lunch bags with drawings and words of encouragement to brighten a child’s day.
Volunteers are always needed to help pack meals. You can also host a drive to collect juice boxes, water bottles and non-perishable snacks.
Find more ways to help Lunches of Love or donate here.
More information on how to volunteer or donate to Kids’ Meals here.
KPRC 2 and our Community partners at Energy Transfer, Houston Christian University and Exclusive Furniture are proud to feature local nonprofit organizations serving the Greater Houston area each month. Our KPRC 2 Community focus for June 2025 is on organizations preventing childhood hunger through summer lunch programs.