School-age children in Freeborn County can eat breakfast or lunch for free four days a week in Albert Lea.

The Summer Meals program began June 27 and lasts until July 21 at Hawthorne Elementary School, 1000 E. Hawthorne Street.

Meals are served Monday through Thursday. Breakfast is served from 7:45 to 8:30 a.m. and lunch is served from 10:45 a.m. to noon.

Director of Food Services Doyle Forster said on Wednesday that around 120 children are being served breakfast and 220 are being served lunch through the program, noting the same menu that meets United States Department of Agriculture regulations of a balanced meal is offered as is during the school year

Forster said the federally-reimbursed program for anyone age 18 or younger is offered because of the percentage of households in the Albert Lea area that are in need of the meals, noting he thinks the program is important for children.

“They would be missing the opportunity to have two nutritionally-balanced meals each day during the program at no charge,” he said.

Superintendent Mike Funk said on Wednesday that the district implemented the program a few years ago, noting he thinks the program is an opportunity to help students.

“It was an opportunity for us to provide a couple of meals to help out and have it aligned with summer school programming that is at Hawthorne,” Funk said.

He said he knows the program is making a difference from speaking with families, noting the program is helping the district in its long-term goal of keeping students healthy.