Families in rural Hillsboro who live miles from the nearest park can get a full week of free breakfasts and lunches brought to them through Thursday, August 13, no paperwork required.

The Hillsboro School District's summer meals program includes rotating rural delivery stops, with staff packing meals at Evergreen Middle School and driving them out to families who can't easily reach the district's six fixed lunch sites. Any child ages 1 to 18 qualifies regardless of family income or immigration status.

No barriers to access

Families do not need to show ID, prove income, or fill out forms. The district's announcement, published in both English and Spanish, states meals are free for all children ages 1 to 18 regardless of family income.

KPTV's Julia Lopez reported on the rural delivery component July 8, describing it as an expansion of the district's program this year. The district's own website confirms rural site meal pickup is available once per week but does not specify whether the service is new for 2026.

How it works

The district runs free onsite lunches at six Hillsboro parks Monday through Thursday through August 13. Those sites are Shute Park, Reedville Creek Skate Park, McKinney Park, Shadywood Park, Orenco Woods Nature Park, and Walnut Street Park. Children must eat onsite at park locations.

The rural pickup option works differently. Once per week, families can collect multiple days' worth of breakfast and lunch at rotating stops supplied from Evergreen Middle School. The district has not published the specific rural stop locations or schedule on its main website but directs families to contact Yvette Drolette, the nutrition services supervisor, at 503-844-1473 for details.

Growing need

Oregon is one of 39 states participating in the federal Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program, which provides a one-time $120 payment per eligible child for summer groceries. In 2025, at least 336,000 Oregon children received those benefits, according to the Hillsboro News-Times.

Nationally, food insecurity is climbing. The USDA's most recent food security survey, released in December 2025, found 13.7% of U.S. households experienced food insecurity at some point during the prior year, the highest rate in a decade. Since federal SNAP cuts took effect earlier in 2026, about 4.7 million people have lost benefits, according to Reuters.

What families need to know

The program runs through Thursday, August 13. Park sites serve lunch Monday through Thursday. Rural meal pickup is once per week.

To find the nearest site or get details on rural delivery stops, call Drolette at 503-844-1473.