Free meals available to Indiana students this summer

Indiana students ages 18 and under will have access to free meals and snacks at nearly 1,000 locations statewide thanks to the 2026 Summer Food Service Program.

For over 50 years, the Summer Food Service Program has provided children ages 18 and under with access to free, nutritious meals and snacks during the summer months. The Summer Food Service Program is a federal nutrition program funded by the USDA and administered by the Indiana Department of Education. The program is designed to meet the needs of low-income children in areas where access to good nutrition may be limited. 

Site locations and meal service times vary throughout the state based on local area sponsors. Congregate meal locations range from parks and community centers to schools, churches, and mobile feeding sites. In qualified rural locations, meals may be available for pickup.

Rochester has four locations that free meals will be served at Monday through Friday, which started June 1 and ends July 31.

Times vary depending on the location. Rochester High School's eat-on-site will have breakfast from 07:45 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. and lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Columbia Elementary School's eat-on-site will have breakfast from 07:30 a.m. to 08:30 a.m. and lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; Riddle Elementary School's eat-on-site breakfast will be from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30am and lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m; and the Fulton County Public Library will have an eat-on-site for lunch only from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 

Households can find more information about other locations, the meals served and more by using the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Meals Site Finder or the Indiana Department of Education’s Searchable Meal Site Locator. The site maps will continue to be updated throughout the summer. Families can also call the USDA’s National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273), or text “Summer Meals” or “Verano” to 914-342-7744 to find sites near them.