Houston County nutrition program serves breakfast and lunch during summer months

For more than 15 years, the Houston County School Nutrition Program has been offering kids free meals during the summer, and this year is no exception. The program began serving both nutritious breakfasts and lunches beginning May 30 and will continue through July 28.

The program serves any children ages 18 and younger, regardless of whether they are Houston County residents, according to Meredith Potter, director of school nutrition for Houston County schools. She said the intent of the summer feeding program is to offer and serve nutritious meals to children during the summer months when school is not in session.

The program is federally funded by the United States Department of Agriculture National School Lunch Program, which enables meals to be served at no cost to youths in communities where 50 percent or more of the children qualify for free and reduced-priced school meals

“Proof of residence is not required,” she said. “Sites are open to any child age 18 or under. Most of the children are younger children. It is not a program that is new to the community; there are a lot of repeat customers.”

Jennifer Howard, a parent whose high schooler and elementary student have taken advantage of the program in the past and again this summer, is very pleased with the program. While her children enjoy the food choices that are offered at the Northside High School Tabor Academy location, Howard is happy that they are served a variety of healthy fruits and vegetables and enjoys the convenient location.

“It helps me out tremendously in the summertime,” she said. “It helps with not having to stretch my budget as much.”

“About 45 Houston County school nutrition employees work during the summer months to provide meals to our students who need it most,” Potter said. “The employees who serve these meals have touched the hearts and hungry bellies of families in every corner of our county and enjoy seeing their students over the summer.”

Last year, the program served more than 278,000 meals to students. Since students are served on a walk-in basis, Potter said they project the number of meals for the upcoming summer based on the numbers from the previous summer program.

“Studies show that kids are at a higher risk for hunger during the summer months,” Potter said. “We are proud to offer a program that bridges the gap between the end of May and the end of July so children are able to return to school ready to learn.”

Meals are served at Huntington Middle School, 206 Wellborn Road in Warner Robins, Morningside Elementary (for lunch only), 1206 Morningside Drive in Perry, and Northside High School’s Tabor Academy, 926 Green Street in Warner Robins. Breakfast is served 7:30-8:30 a.m. Monday-Friday and lunch is served 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Potter said.

In addition to the school locations, Potter said that mobile routes bring food directly to the neighborhoods. She said that families can enter their addresses into the system and find the site nearest them, including mobile route stops, by clicking on the link www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks or text FOOD to 877877.

Aside from the school and mobile routes, Potter said an additional 70 locations will be providing meals as well. She said that these programs signed up in the spring to be able to provide meals to the children participating in the programs they are hosting over the summer months.

This story was originally published June 3, 2017 at 8:18 PM with the headline "Houston County nutrition program serves breakfast and lunch during summer months."