YUMA, Ariz. (AP) - Some southwestern Arizona schools are offering free summer meals to children in one of the poorest regions of the state.
The Yuma Sun reports the schools are taking advantage of a federal program aimed at helping students on free or reduced meal programs during the school year.
Crane School District, Yuma Elementary School District One and Yuma Union High School District all have free summer lunch programs, reimbursed by the USDA's summer food service program.
The schools have more than two dozen locations where breakfast, lunch and evening snacks are being served.
The U.S. Census estimates that Yuma County, Arizona, has a poverty rate of 19%.
Yuma Community Food Bank CEO Shara Whitehead says 35.5% of Yuma County children live in "food-insecure homes."
