By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

Alabaster’s Meadow View Elementary School will work to feed hungry kids for free this summer through the city’s first federally funded summer feeding program.

Throughout the summer, MVES will serve as a host site for the United States Department of Agriculture-funded summer feeding program.

Through the program, children 18 and younger will be able to eat breakfast and lunch for free at the school. Parents will be able to eat with their children for a fee of $2 for breakfast and $4 for lunch.

Alabaster City Schools Child Nutrition Program Specialist Heather McDermott said the program will be open to the community, and said the school became eligible to serve as a host site for the program after its enrollment in the free and reduced-price lunch program topped 50 percent this year.

“We are just so excited to offer this,” McDermott said during an April 17 interview. “There are kids in our community who will really benefit from this. We just really want to make sure we feed these kids.”

McDermott said the free and reduced-price lunch program helps to feed kids who otherwise may not eat during the school year, but said the summer program will help to bridge a gap from June through August.

The school system will release dates and times for the summer feeding program in May, McDermott said.

ACS also will offer a summer camp program from May 27-Aug. 1 for students 5 years old entering kindergarten through students 12 years old entering seventh grade.

Alabaster Community Education specialist Ashley May said the camp will be open to Alabaster students and students from surrounding communities, and will feature activities such as crafts, gym games, outside play, group games, swimming and weekly field trips.

All summer camp participants will be able to participate in the summer feeding program, May said.

The summer camp registration deadline is Friday, May 2. To register, visit Alabastercityschools.org or call 663-8445.