Broad River Baptist Church in Blacksburg is among nine sites where county students can get free meals while schools are out this summer.

The school district will begin serving lunch Monday and plans to serve meals until Aug. 14.

Meal sites opening this week include the Salvation Army, the Cherokee County Boys and Girls Club and Concord Baptist Church.

Broad River Baptist Church will serve meals to Blacksburg area students.

The meals will be prepared by school food service employees at Mary Bramlett Elementary. The federal government allows school districts to be reimbursed for the meals just like regular free and reduced-priced meals served during the school year.

U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics show 15 percent of students nationally do not have a regular place where they can go to get a meal when schools are not in session.

The Cherokee County School District served an average of 400 meals daily to county students through last year's summer meal program.

"This is being offered by the school district as a community service so children have a place to eat healthy meals," said Roland Cabading, district food service director.

All children attending county schools can eat lunch from noon until 1 p.m. at the Salvation Army and Boys and Girls Club sites.

The other summer meal sites are limited to children enrolled in summer camp programs. These programs are the Cherokee County YMCA, Joyce's Day Care, Kids Club, Little Angels and Limestone Baptist Church.

"The majority of the meals will be hot meals instead of sandwiches," Cabading said. "It will be very similar to the food served in school cafeterias."