Summer feeding program returns to Helena with free meals for children

Families in Helena had a no-cost summer meal stop at UAMS East on Highway 242 South, where Feeding Busy Beez / Operation Kids hosted a summer feeding program for children 18 and under from 10 a.m. to noon. The site at 1393 Highway 242 South gave parents a familiar pickup point on the south side of town, in a period when school cafeterias are closed and weekly food budgets have to stretch further.

The June 15 stop was not standing alone. Delta Magic’s calendar also listed summer feeding dates in the area on June 4, June 8 and June 11, showing a short run of recurring meal distributions rather than a one-day handout. That pattern matters in Phillips County, where work schedules, transportation and childcare can make it hard for families to rely on a single distribution window.

Under USDA summer meal rules, children 18 and under can receive meals and snacks at no charge, with no application needed. The federal program is designed to make food access simple and low-barrier, and families can use the Summer Meals Site Finder to locate nearby sites, hours and contact information. In Arkansas, summer meal programs are administered through the Department of Human Services, with support from the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and other sponsors.

The Helena stop also fit into a broader local network of summer feeding efforts that has been active for years. Helena Public Schools’ Free Summer Meals program was described in a 2023 local report as having fed children in the greater Helena community for about 15 years, underscoring how long summer hunger has been a recurring need here. Arkansas Foodbank has also said it operated 11 summer feeding sites across Cleburne, Desha, Phillips and Ashley counties in one summer report, showing how the region has leaned on multiple partners to fill gaps when school is out.

UAMS East adds another layer to that access. The Helena campus says it serves a seven-county region in the Arkansas Delta, with operations that also reach West Memphis and Lake Village. That regional footprint helps explain why a Helena address on Highway 242 South can matter far beyond one neighborhood, especially for families who need a dependable site close to daily routes.

Arkansas is also continuing its Summer EBT program in 2026 to supplement free meal sites, adding another tool to the fight against childhood hunger. In Phillips County, the practical value of the Helena feeding stop was straightforward: one more place, one more morning, one more way to keep summer from becoming a food gap for local children.