By Kolby LaMarche

The Burlington School District will again begin offering free daily meals and weekly meal boxes to children 18 and under starting Monday, June 22, as part of its ongoing effort to address food needs during the summer months.

The Burlington School Food Project, the district’s nutrition program, is providing the meals at no charge with no fees, no registration and no residency requirements. Any child 18 years old and younger can participate by simply showing up at the designated sites at certain times.

Lunch will be served Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. behind Edmunds School. Suppers will be available at the same times, Monday through Friday, at Roosevelt Park, located at 57 Oak Street, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The program will operate every week-day, with the exception of July 3. It is funded through the district’s school nutrition program and the Burlington School Food Project.

In addition to the daily meal service, the district is offering free weekly meal boxes. 

Each box contains the equivalent of seven days of breakfasts and lunches. The boxes will be available for pickup at multiple locations across Chittenden County, not just in Burlington.

Meal boxes will be distributed on Wednesdays from July 1 through Aug. 12 at the Intervale Center, 180 Intervale Road, between 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. 

On Thursdays from June 25 through Aug. 13, boxes will be available at the Alburgh Community Education Center, 45 Champlain Street in Alburgh, and at Grand Isle Elementary School, 224 US-2 in Grand Isle, both from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

While registration is not required, district officials are encouraging families who plan to use the meal boxes to complete an interest form to help with planning. Separate forms are available for the Intervale location and for the Alburgh and Grand Isle sites.

The initiative aligns with broader national efforts through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program, which has long supported communities in providing nutritious meals to children when school is not in session. Vermont participates in these programs, with sites across the state helping to bridge the gap left by the end of the school year.

Food insecurity remains a concern in Vermont, and in Burlington where poverty rates are among the highest in the state. 

The Burlington School Food Project has a history of providing meals year-round. During the school year, it serves students in the district, which enrolls more than 3,000 students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The project emphasizes fresh, nutritious options and has worked to connect with local farms where possible, the district said. 

This summer’s expanded offerings, including the meal boxes, build on previous years’ programs. In 2025, the district also provided free summer meals and introduced meal boxes for the first time to some success in distribution.