VALDOSTA – While most children love to guzzle soda and snack on ice cream during the dog days of summer, Second Harvest of South Georgia and Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning’s Bright from the Start have something a bit more nutritious on the menu.

The nonprofit and the government agency hosted an event Tuesday to bring community awareness to summer meals programs for Georgia’s children, such as the Kids Cafe program and Happy Helpings Summer Food Service program, to help feed children across the region.

Eliza McCall, Second Harvest chief marketing officer, said during the summer months when school is out, many children no longer have consistent access to nutritious meals and snacks. To help fill the hunger gap, Second Harvest and DECAL provide free meals to any child 18 years old and younger. Adults 19 years and older who are enrolled in school programs for persons with disabilities may also receive meals.

Cindy Kicklighter, marketing and outreach manager for DECAL, said the programs focus on not just keeping kids full but on making sure that what they are consuming is healthy and nutritious.

“It has to be a nutritious meal that meets the USDA’s (United States Department of Agriculture) requirements. What we’re doing today is tying in the hydration station and trying to get the kids to learn about staying hydrated,” she said.

“We also put emphasis on healthy foods like pineapples and watermelons and educate them about that. We also have physical activities like hula hoops and jump rope. We want to keep them active and make it fun as well.”

Second Harvest and DECAL also collaborated with Kids Cafe partner site the Above and Beyond Foundation. Genesis Lewis, principal officer of ABF, said it is important to intervene and mentor the children while they are still young.

“One of the things Above and Beyond is trying to do is hit them young. So the reason you see books and that stuff out here is because I’m pushing childhood literacy and hygiene. The food program is ‘You gotta eat.’ because we all gotta eat. The books and the hygiene are first things first, because we can’t get anywhere if we don’t have the basics,” she said.

Summer meal service will continue at sites across the nation until school is back in session. No proof of income or residency is required for participation. Families in South Georgia can find free meals for their children by texting “Summer Meals” to (914) 342-7744, calling Second Harvest’s helpline (888) 453-4143 or by visiting FeedingSGA.org.

Second Harvest, a member of Feeding America, serves 26 counties and is the state’s largest rural food bank, distributing 20 million meals in the last 12 months and feeding thousands of children daily.

Georgia DECAL’s Bright from the Start is responsible for meeting the child care and early education needs of Georgia’s children and their families.

The Above and Beyond Foundation’s mission is improving early childhood development through literacy and personal hygiene habits.