School employees provide 41,353 meals over summer in county

By DANIELLE REID

Patriot Publishing

While most of the community was on summer vacation this year, a dedicated cadre of Pulaski County Public School Nutrition Program volunteer team members, provided Pulaski County school students with nutritious meals. While the team members are paid, they are giving up their summer vacation time because they have a concern and compassion to make sure children get proper nutrition during the summer when school is not in session. Under the direction of Jessica M. Morrison, School Nutrition Program Director, the School Nutrition Program team members provided a total of 41,353 meals to ensure local students had access to healthy, delicious meals during the summer months. The meals must meet the USDA requirements for summer food programs. “During the summer months this year, a record-breaking 41,353 meals were prepared and distributed by school nutrition program employees,” stated Morrison. “Of that number, parents were able to pickup 25,758 meals, which provided students two-nutritious meals daily for the week as well as on the weekend,” she added. Morrison said they did some research before starting the program and discovered some interesting statistics. Based on the information she found, and based on their menu, the summer nutrition program was saving $38.00 per-student each week in household groceries. “We were providing seven-days of meals so students would have food in the summer and during the weekends. We were trying to cover the gap for the entire summer.” Morrison acknowledges that this is a record number of meals provided over the summer during the past three-years, partly because the USDA Food Service Program allows non-congregate (parents can pickup the meals) during the summer months. Pulaski County is in a rural division that qualifies for a summer meals program. This enables parents the opportunity to provide the same nutritional meals that students would receive during the school year. The meals were prepared in two Pulaski County Public School Central Kitchens – Pulaski Elementary School and Pulaski Middle School. The breakfast and lunch portions are generous and the menu changes daily. Some of the meals were transported to locations where students had activities such as at Randolph Park, federally funded camps and vacation Bible schools. “Many thanks to our school nutrition program staff who volunteered to work in the summer. Providing so many meals this year was a tremendous feat. Our nutrition program volunteers have a sincere desire to help our community by supplying this food service to our students. Much appreciation goes to our many Pulaski County employees who helped in so many other ways. They made the kitchens available throughout the summer, helped with the trafÏc flow for meal pickup, the IT department helped develop the survey, while others distributed the survey. There were many logistics to work out that the school nutrition program employees couldn’t have done alone. We had support from many departments and volunteers to make the summer meal program a success,” she added. Robert Graham, Pulaski County School Superintendent, congratulated the School Nutrition Program and all the Pulaski Country School summer volunteers for helping to meet the community’s needs during the summer. “We appreciate our community entrusting us with this level of care for their students,” declared Morrison. “Healthy meals today help our students grow, learn and thrive tomorrow.”