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Centennial School District is launching a mobile lunch bus to provide free meals to the district’s children during the summer months.

The program provides free, nutritious meals to children aged 18 and younger. All meals must be consumed onsite to comply with guidelines.

“This is just an all-around way to make sure that the district kids have a meal throughout the day at least once, and just to give back to our community,” said Christopher Sanchez-Peralta, communications coordinator at the district.

In the 2025-2026 school year, more than half of the district’s students participated in the free meals program.

Sanchez-Peralta said summer meal service programs can have a big impact on the community.

“It’s just really important to make sure that local children have access to some form of nutrition throughout the summer,” he said. “Even if it’s just at least once a day for 30 minutes, it can go a long way for the community as a whole.”
Centennial School District in Bucks County launched a mobile lunch bus this summer to provide free meals to children who live in the area. (Courtesy of Centennial School District)

Centennial School District’s food and nutrition manager, Lori Deni, was “inspired” by nearby Bensalem Township School District’s summer lunch program, Sanchez-Peralta said.

Bensalem started its summer lunch service program 13 years ago and introduced its own summer lunch buses in 2021.

It’s especially important in a district that qualifies for free meals for all students, said Jenna Demirjian, food services coordinator at Bensalem.

“In the summer months, when children aren’t in school, they may not have access to healthy foods to eat, so this program is a great opportunity for the kids to be able to get a free breakfast and a free lunch every day,” she said.