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Education Dive
Food truck program delivers to needy
students — even during the summer
Shawna De La Rosa
April 4, 2019
Dive Brief:
Middletown City Schools in Ohio marks the latest school system in the
state to work to end hunger among its students. The district recently
launched a $225,000 program for food trucks to travel to students on
non-school days — it will also travel to low-income communities in the
city this summer — to feed those who qualify for free or reduced-price
lunch, according to the Journal-News.
Middletown and New Miami Local Schools mark two districts in Butler
County where 100% of students were eligible for free school meals in
2018. Middletown follows two neighboring districts, Lakota Local
Schools — which served an average of 273 meals per day last year — and
Hamilton schools in implementing mobile food units to feed students,
the Journal-News reports.
In nearby Warren County, another district's food program works to
support its high-needs students. In Kings Local Schools' "power pack"
program, volunteers put a weekend's worth of food into bags and
discreetly deliver them to students’ lockers or outside classrooms on
Friday afternoons so students have food to eat while they're out of
school.
Dive Insight:
Student hunger is a major problem in areas across the country, and
having insufficient access to meals can hurt students in their
physical, mental and academic development. And thousands of children
are affected — the No Kid Hungry organization estimates that 1 in 6
children in the United States face hunger on a regular basis.
Hungry students and children have trouble focusing, learning and
staying on task. And research indicates that these young students do
poorly in school and have more behavior problems than those who don't.
Even skipping breakfast, research has shown, lowers a students’ chances
of having a successful day at school.
As demonstrated with the Ohio districts' efforts, many schools and
community organizations are taking action to minimize the effects of
this problem not only during the school day, but also on breaks and
periods during which children aren't coming to school. In some cases,
including that of Middletown City Schools, operating food trucks serve
as a way to reach lower-income communities during the summer and ensure
they have sufficient meal options.
However, districts don't have to handle these tasks alone, and they can
expand their reach and impact by partnering with local agencies to
access funds and work together — especially during summers, when school
lunches aren’t being provided. In addition, schools can also reach out
to community groups that assist with other issues facing low-income or
needy families, including securing reliable internet connection. Some
businesses have already proven they're willing to chip in — the Darden
restaurant family, which includes Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, Seasons
52 and Capital Grille, donates its extra food to local food banks.
In addition, districts can reach out and apply for grants to help fund
food delivery programs. Government organizations such as the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, as well as nonprofits including The Alliance
To End Hunger, award funding to organizations aiming to feed hungry
children.
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