From the left, Laura Arnett and Ginger Walters serve up free lunches at Bixler Park.

WARSAW — Free lunches are being offered in area parks starting yesterday, Monday, June 6, and continuing through Friday, July 29.

“We’re super excited about it,” said Stacie Light, assistant director of Food Services for Warsaw Community Schools. “We love going in there and seeing the kids have fun and get a nutritious meal,” she continued. This isn’t the first year that the program has been available either.

“I believe this is the 10th year of the program,” Light continued. “It originally started about 10 years ago when teachers had concerns when students would come to them and say they didn’t have anything to eat over the summer,” she stated.

Many people take advantage of the park, and the program is prepared for a busy summer. “We are anticipating between 100 and 175 people at each park, each day,” Light stated.

The administrators of the free lunch program would like to request that if a big group of people or children decide to attend, then they should call ahead at (574) 371-5086 ext. 6, so that there will be enough food for everyone. The lunches are free for children aged 1-18, but adults can purchase a meal for $3.50 if they wish.

Meals will be provided ,at a first come, first serve basis at the sites and times as follows:

• Winona Lake Park, 1590 Park Ave, Winona Lake. Lunch served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday, June 6, through Friday, July 1st, and Monday, July 11, through Friday, July 29.
• Bixler Park at Center Lake, 503 N. Detroit, Warsaw. Lunch served 11:30 a.m. through 12:30 p.m.. Monday, June 6, through Friday, July 1st, and Monday, July 11, through Friday, July 29.

• No service of lunches will be available at the parks July 4 through July 8.