Yuma schools launch no-cost summer meals for all children

Yuma Union High School District has opened a countywide summer food option that can help families stretch grocery budgets while school is out. The 2026 No Cost Summer Food Service Program, posted May 22, is open to all children ages 18 and younger, with no registration or ID required.

The district set up seven high school sites across Yuma County. Children can eat on site at Cibola High School, Kofa High School, Vista High School and Yuma High School. Gila Ridge High School, San Luis High School and Somerton High School are offering both drive-thru to-go meals and on-site service for children who are present.

The district said meals will be served at the sites and times listed on its summer meals page, and it reserved the right to change or cancel a site or serving period. All summer meal sites will be closed June 19 and July 3.

The arrangement gives families in Yuma, San Luis, Somerton and nearby communities more than one way to fill the gap left when school cafeterias shut down for summer. For working parents, caregivers and older siblings running children to and from campus, the combination of sit-down meals and drive-thru pickup makes the program easier to use without paperwork or income verification at the door.

State and federal officials describe summer feeding as a core anti-hunger tool. The Arizona Department of Education says the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option provide free meals or snacks when school is out. The United States Department of Agriculture says summer meal sites serve children 18 and under at no cost and do not require an application.

The need remains substantial. Arizona research cited in the state’s 2024 nutrition report estimates that 1 out of 5 Arizona children, about 291,290 children, are food insecure. Feeding America’s 2025 Map the Meal Gap release says nearly 20% of U.S. children experience food insecurity, a reminder that school-based summer feeding still matters well beyond Yuma County.

Arizona also runs SUN Bucks, a separate summer grocery benefit for low-income families with school-aged children who lose access to free or reduced-price school meals when school ends. Families looking for more summer meal sites can also use USDA’s Summer Meals Site Finder and Arizona’s summer meal resources as the season goes on.