HEWITT, Texas (KXXV) — Midway ISD is opening its cafeterias this summer, offering free breakfast and lunch to children in the community.
For mother Ashley Rhodes, the free meals have become a regular part of her summer routine.
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"Unfortunately our meals are very limited and we have our kids at home all day. It's hard to feed everybody all day and then have dinner for 7 days a week, sometimes 14 days at a time, so we take advantage of the free lunches and the free breakfasts at the schools. It's very helpful," Rhodes said.
Rhodes says the program provides more than just food.
"It's helped us maintain. Mainly help us maintain keeping what we've kept at bay for us. And it gets them out of the house, it keeps them interacting with people, so that's another reason why I like to do it," Rhodes said.
Her daughter, Hayley Fithian, says she has seen firsthand how rising costs are affecting families.
"I like it because with inflation going up and everything getting higher in prices, it's not like our paychecks are getting higher. Prices are getting higher and our checks are getting smaller," Fithian said.
Fithian says the program offers relief when other support has felt out of reach.
"It's kind of like everything we've worked for has just been getting cut off, so it's like there's nothing really there to help us anymore. Then with the lunches, free food, it's easier that way," Fithian said.
Midway ISD Assistant Cafeteria Manager David Wyrick says that is exactly why the district continues to offer the program each summer.
"This just allows people that might be or might not be struggling an opportunity to come get healthy food twice a day, meet with friends, make new friends, that kind of thing," Wyrick said.
Wyrick says he hopes more families will take advantage of what is available to them.
"I really wish that more people knew about it. It's a great program. We have such a good time. It's so great to see all the kids' smiling faces, and that's what we do," Wyrick said.
For more information on meal times and locations, families can visit the Midway ISD website.
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