A weekly literacy program hosted by Bethany Lutheran Church in Port Orchard will expand this summer to include free meals for children, as part of a new collaboration with the South Kitsap School District’s Food and Nutrition Services department.

The program, known as Bedtime Books at Bethany, has been held for several years and offers families weekly evening read-alouds and free children’s books. Starting July 2, it will also offer USDA-approved summer meals for children under 18.

The addition, called Summer Suppers, comes after discussions between church staff and school district officials about food insecurity during the summer months. Melissa Pittenger, one of the program’s coordinators, said the district initially asked the church to host a five-day-a-week lunch site. However, due to staffing and safety limitations, the church was unable to meet the requirement.

Instead, church leadership proposed integrating the meal service into the existing weekly literacy event. School district staff will handle the food distribution, allowing families to receive meals in addition to attending the literacy activities.

“There are 33 Title I schools in our area, including several nearby,” Pittenger said. “A lot of families are making difficult decisions every month about rent, gas and groceries. Providing meals during summer helps relieve some of that strain.”

SKSD has 3,777 students, nearly 40% of enrollment, who qualify for free or reduced-price meals during the school year, per Patricia Barret, director of Food & Nutrition Services. For many of these students, summer can be a gap in consistent nutrition.

“Some families count on the National School Lunch Program for two meals a day, and then summer comes and it abruptly stops,” Barret said. “Without programs like this, students dont have adequate access to meals.”

Barret added that food insecurity can significantly impact children’s physical and mental health, behavior and academic performance, even when school is not in session. “The difference is that during the summer, students aren’t in school where adults can check in on them and provide additional support,” she said.

This year, families may also benefit from a new USDA program called SUN Bucks, which provides $120 to eligible families through a Summer EBT card to supplement grocery budgets. “Until recently, there has been no safety net besides traditional summer meals programs,” Barret said.

The Summer Suppers meals will be served sack-style, which will include whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and milk. District staff prepare the meals the day of at their central kitchen. Thanks to a grant from the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, mobile refrigeration will help safely store meals for on-site distribution at Bethany Lutheran.

“We’re starting with about 250 meals for the first week and can scale up based on need,” Barret said. “The program is intended to allow parents the opportunity to enjoy a fun evening activity with their children and not have to worry about how to get a meal on the table for the kiddos that night.”

Each weekly event will feature themed read-alouds, free take-home books, access to the church playground and field, and a community resource table. Meals will also, when possible, include theme-related items such as goldfish crackers for an ocean-themed night or star-shaped snacks during a bedtime-themed week.

Book selections are chosen based on availability and cost, with many sourced through discounts, donations or surplus programs. Pittenger said that, while the program operates with no fixed budget, it has received support from volunteers, local partnerships, and a recent $3,000 community grant. Some books are donated by organizations like World Vision and the Kitsap chapter of the Children’s Reading Foundation, while others come from community members or past partnerships with publishers.

Organizers estimate that a family attending all six sessions with three children could take home over 30 books by the end of the summer. “There’s research showing that just having 10 books in the home can significantly improve educational outcomes for children in poverty,” Pittenger said.

The church uses the story time to model read-aloud strategies for caregivers, an approach grounded in early childhood education research. Pittenger emphasized the importance of developing reading habits early, noting that students who don’t read over the summer can return to school 10 weeks behind.

“From birth to age three, children learn to read,” she said. “From third grade on, they read to learn. If a child is behind in reading, they’re going to struggle not just in language arts, but also in math, science and history.”

In addition to literacy and food support, the program will collect donations each week for local organizations, including KP Book Ninja, House of Hope FG, Mercy Mobile, Kitsap Rescue Mission, South Kitsap Helpline, and SKSD’s Clothing Closet. Items such as gently used children’s clothing are accepted at drop-off tables without pressure to contribute.

The weekly event is open to the public and does not require registration. The program will run Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m through Aug. 6

American Sign Language interpretation will also be available.