Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) has opened registration for the 2026 Summer Feeding Program. The program, organized by the JCPS School Nutrition Program, will provide free meals during the summer months to children aged 1-18.
When the regular school year ends, the NC Summer Nutrition Programs continue to offer no-cost meals for children who need them. This ensures ongoing access to healthy food throughout the summer break.
The Summer Feeding Program is also available to people with disabilities over age 18 who are enrolled in a public school program. Children do not need to be enrolled in a JCPS school or reside within Johnston County to participate.
Curbside meal distribution will take place weekly from noon to 6 p.m. at Smithfield-Selma High School, located at 700 M Durwood Stephenson Parkway in Smithfield, North Carolina. The first meal pickup is scheduled for Thursday, June 11, and distributions will continue through Thursday, July 30.
Each meal bundle includes seven days’ worth of breakfast and lunch per child. Menus will rotate every four weeks and feature options such as pizza, pasta bowls, deli sandwiches, and cheeseburger sliders. Final menus will be posted on the Johnston County School Nutrition website under the Summer Food Service Program tab. Households must register by March 31 using the 2026 Summer Meal Pack Order Form.
Another resource offered this summer is SUN Bucks. This United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) program provides a one-time payment of $120 per eligible child on a debit-like card for purchasing nutritious food during summer months when schools are closed.
“USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.”
Johnston County Schools serves more than 37,000 students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade and stands as the largest employer in Johnston County while offering services like student transportation and nutrition programs. The district fosters cultural diversity with students and families representing more than 45 languages and features state-of-the-art facilities supported by community backing. Johnston County Schools embraces a vision of empowering students to succeed in a global society while serving communities throughout Johnston County, North Carolina (https://www.johnston.k12.nc.us/).
