A New Free Food Program Launches To Help Las Vegas Kids This Summer

There’s a new free food program to make sure kids don’t go hungry over the summer in the Las Vegas valley.

Before radio became my career, there was a time when I thought teaching was going to be my future. I remember I even did a student teaching program at my old elementary school, Dondero Elementary, in the heart of Spring Valley. I loved almost everything about that experience, but there was something that I learned during my student teaching that really upset me.

You see, for a lot of kids in our city, the meals that they get from the school system are oftentimes the only meals they receive throughout the entirety of their day. It was something I witnessed first hand, and it broke my heart. As the summer temps start to rise, so does the need for accessible meals for too many of Nevada’s youth.

As so many of our kids are getting ready for their summer break, the Summer Food Service Program is gearing up to make sure that children within Nevada continue to receive meals outside of the school year. It’s a vital program that’ll offer free meals to kids 18 and younger, helping bridge that summertime gap for any Southern Nevada student who relies on breakfast and lunch provided throughout the academic year.

Funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, and administered by the Nevada Department of Agriculture, the Summer Food Service Program will operate across a variety of locations around Las Vegas. Services will be offered at camps, parks, churches and school campuses too. Best of all, no questions will be asked to anyone who needs the help. Simply show up to any of the various sites and you’ll be able to receive a free daily meal for your kids.

According to a report by Channel 8 ( KLAS – Las Vegas ) the administrator of the NDA Division of Food and Nutrition, Patricia Hoppe, said that they’re proud to partner with local organizations to ensure thousands of local students with have access to nutritious meals during the summer month.

Channel 8’s reporting showed how vital a service like this is. During the 22/23 school year alone, more than 20 million breakfasts and 39 million lunches were served to students in Nevada. And when a kid doesn’t have to think about how hungry they are, they can focus better on school.

To learn more about this incredible program, and to find the meal site closest to you, click right here.

A Mexican restaurant in Las Vegas is leaving customers in awe with its innovative and tasty menu.

Milpa is the newest hot spot for breakfast, lunch, dinner -- really any time of day. Located in a cozy and quaint building, nestled between a Salvation Army and a Strip Mall. Milpa is located on 4226 South Durango Drive, Suite 101, Las Vegas, NV 89147. A yellow and black sign that reads "Milpa Mexican Cafe" clings above the restaurant's doors.

The inconspicuous outside is the perfect metaphor for the brilliant cuisine the restaurant serves: Simple, healthy and delicious with a punch of flavor, freshness and tradition.

DJ Flores is the owner and chef behind Milpa, according to Eater Vegas. Recently, the James Beard Foundation named Flores as a semifinalist for the "Best Chef" in the Southwest region of the United States, according to the foundation's website. This award encompasses chefs from Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Oklahoma.

Winners won't be announced until June 10 at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony in Chicago.

Milpa offers customers the opportunity to have fresh tortillas. The menu has an array of tamales that you can order by the dozen.

The breakfast is divine. A stack of Pinole Pancakes is sure to start your day correctly. According to Milpa's Instagram, Pinole is made of our blue corn and cinnamon. It all gets toasted and ground into a cornmeal. The pancakes are topped with a berry compote and drizzled with piloncillo syrup. It's the epitome of traditional food with a modern-day twist.

Other staple menu items include shrimp ceviche, delicious chilaquiles (you can add birria to them, too), tetelas with eggs, huevos rancheros and more.

This Mexican restaurant in Las Vegas also offers healthy bowls that are rich in nutrition and protein, they have taco bowls and traditional tacos. The sides are delicious, and we recommend trying the arbol potatoes, corn equites and guacamole.

The drinks are refreshing and tasty. Our favorites include their guava horchata, iced café de olla, horchata cold brew, mazapan latte and dulce de leche latte. They have agua frescas and alcoholic beverages like palomas.

Perhaps it's the bustling and cozy environment of Milpa that greets any patron with comfort and nostalgia. Or, maybe it's the delicious food the kitchen is constantly whipping up. From walk-ins to take-out orders, the restaurant usually has a steady stream of people going in and out, eager to taste the delectable food from Chef Flores' kitchen.

If you love shrimp cocktail, you will adore Milpa's shrimp ceviche. This dish takes poached shrimp and tosses it with lime juice and baja salsa. Fresh chunks of avocado, tomatoes, onions, cucumber and cilantro are then mixed with the marinated shrimp. It's the perfect dish to cool you off during a hot Vegas day. There are different kinds of ceviche, but Milpa uses shrimp as the main protein for its ceviche.

The tangy salsa perfectly pairs with the soft shrimp, and the buttery nature of the avocado also partners with the crunchiness of the tortilla. Every component of the dish dances with each other in a harmonious partnership, creating a perfect blend of flavors and texture.

The Roasted Bowl from Milpa is the perfect mixture of healthy, flavorful and simple ingredients that come together to create something delicious. This bowl is made with roasted squash, golden beets, kale, onion and avocado. There's also brussels sprouts, shimeji mushrooms served with warm brown rice.

The bowl is served with a side of chipotle lemon dressing that adds a kick of flavor to this beautiful bowl. It's the perfect lunch during work, and it won't leave you feeling heavy or lethargic after eating. If you're looking for a healthy option for lunch and dinner then the Roasted Bowl is your best friend. Hearty, delicious and nutritious. It's truly the perfect meal.

On the left is a Dulce de Leche latte. This is a latte made with milk and a sweetened caramelized milk syrup. It's sweet and creamy from the caramelized milk syrup, which adds that dulce de leche flavor.

Dulce de Leche is a popular caramel sauce that's thick and rich, it's basically a caramel sauce that's used in a plethora of sweets across Latin America and Europe. Next to the latte is a guava fresca. This is an infused guava drink with a water base. It's tangy, slightly acidic and sweet. This would pair perfectly with a shot of tequila. But, it's perfectly refreshing to drink this guava fresca by itself. It's a great drink to go with any of the meals at Milpa.

These Arbol potatoes are the perfect side dish to any of the fresh entrees at Milpa. They're perfectly seasoned, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. They have a perfect satisfying crunch that explodes with flavor. Delicious, comforting and warm, the Arbol potatoes are a must-try item on the menu.

Everyone's arbol salsa recipe is different. But the main star of the salsa is the "chile de árbol" also translated to arbol peppers. These peppers have different layers of flavor that are earthy and nutty. According to Vera Mexicana, an online Mexican goods retailer, "Árbol chilies are widely used for their sharp acidic heat rounded out by natural almost nutty side notes. . . The drying process really enhances the secondary flavors, adding a complexity not often found in spicy chilies."

This beautiful arbol-infused flavor on top of the potatoes create a harmonious dish that just makes you happy.

The guava horchata is another drink you can order at Milpa. Horchata, a Mexican rice and milk drink, is poured into an icy glass. The guava juice is then added on top of the milky horchata.

Horchata usually has a creamy, cinnamon-like flavor that's sweet and milky. It pairs perfectly with the sour guava juice because the combination of sweet and sour work well together. This would be another refreshing drink to enjoy during a scorching-hot summer day.