By Christian Coffman

NATCHEZ — School may be out for the summer, but area public school cafeterias are busy serving up healthy meals to area children.

Throughout the summer the Natchez-Adams School District is conducting its annual summer feeding program to area children from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at select district schools.

Participating schools are McLaurin Elementary, Frazier Elementary and Susie B. West Elementary, Morgantown Arts Academy, Robert Lewis Magnet School and Natchez High School. Meals are also served at the LaGrange and Maryland Heights community centers.

Meals are free for children under 18 and will be served on weekdays until July 28. Parents and guardians over the age of 18 can purchase meals for $3.50 a plate.

District Child Nutrition Supervisor Shantoura Spears has been involved the feeding program for six years. Spears said the program is run through the United States Department of Agriculture.

“This is for children to ensure they get proper nutrition outside the school year,” Spears said. “A lot of children don’t get breakfast or lunch from day to day … we want to keep children healthy, get them to eat fruits and vegetables so that they can  lead a healthy life.”

Spears said children and their families should come to the free service because it is introduces the children to foods they might not find outside of school.

“(Children) need to try new things; eat your vegetables, drink your milk … we’re serving whole wheat grain products daily, and there are no fried foods,” Spears said. “I want to ensure our kids in the community get proper nutrition during the summer.”

For more information, contact Spears at 601-445-2997 or 601-445-2852.