The free summer meal program has kicked off in Middlesboro and many students are taking advantage them while also enjoying their summer freedom from the classrooms.

Summer is the time when kids can be kids and have some fun after months of studying, testing, and sitting inside classrooms Monday through Friday. Summer is the time they can break free.

Middlesboro schools don’t just want to support their students during the school year; they want to support them year round.

Throughout the summer, children are able to eat free thanks to Middlesboro Independent Schools’ Food Truck.

This is the third summer that the food truck has served the children of the community, and they will continue to do so until July 26.

Both breakfast and lunch are served and just last year, the truck was able to give away over 10,000 meals. This year, there are 16 feeding sites and two stationary sites for children to visit.

The meals are for ages 18 and under but adult meals can be purchased for $2. The meals must be consumed on site and this year, each Tuesday, the students will receive a free book with their meal at all sites.

This year’s mobile sites include:

• Yoakum – Breakfast 8 a.m. and Lunch 12:05 p.m.

• Junction – Lunch 12:05 p.m.

• Pinnacle – Breakfast 8:30 a.m. and Lunch 12:20 p.m.

• Schultz – Breakfast 8:45 a.m. and Lunch 12:40 p.m.

• Queensbury – Lunch 11:55 a.m.

• South Side Park – Lunch 12:15 p.m.

• Lincoln Homes – Lunch 12:35 p.m.

• Ford Woods Park – Lunch 12:55 p.m.

• Cumberland Village – Breakfast 8:15 a.m. and Lunch 11:50 a.m.

• East End Park – Lunch 12:10 p.m.

• East End Mobile Home Park – Lunch 12:10 p.m.

• Hink Heights – 12:35 p.m.

• Ronnie Gayle – Breakfast 9 a.m. and Lunch 12:50 p.m.

• Happy Hollow – Breakfast 9:15 a.m. and Lunch noon

• Bella Garden – Breakfast 9:30 a.m. and Lunch 12:25 p.m.

• Community Center – Lunch 12:15 p.m.

The stationary feeding sites are:

• Middlesboro Middle School – Breakfast and Lunch

• Middlesboro High School – Breakfast and Lunch

Breakfast at 8 a.m. and lunch at noon.

“This van has been a tremendous asset to seeing that our kids our feed during the summer,” said Middlesboro Schools Superintendent Waylon Allen.

The mobile feeding truck was established three years ago when the Middlesboro Independent School District re-purposed an old Title 1 Truck and made it the mobile feeding truck.