Food That’s In When School is Out!
By: Joyce Fenner, MPS Food Service Director
As the school year draws to an end, a lot of families are starting to think about summer plans. Those plans may include deciding where to go on vacation. Other families are thinking about what their kids are going to do while the parents are at work while school is out. Do they go to daycare? Does grandma watch them?
Unfortunately, for many families, they are also trying to figure out how to feed their kids during the summer when school meals are not available. The sad truth is that according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), approximately 12% of households in the United States are considered “Food-insecure”. This means that these households are struggling to provide enough food for the family and in some cases having to decide between paying other bills and buying food.
During the school year, here at Mexico 59, all students in kindergarten through 8th grade are provided breakfast and lunch free of charge. But, what happens when school is out and that service is no longer available? This is where the USDA through state agencies such as Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) provide sponsors with the financial and administrative support and training to provide much needed meals to children and teens. Through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), school districts, church groups, youth organizations, such as YMCA and other partnerships, come together to make sure good, nutritious meals are available to the community’s youth. The meals are free regardless of financial need and the children do not have to be enrolled in summer school or any other programs to be able to participate. They simply go to one of the sites during the posted meal times and enjoy!
Mexico 59 provides free meals to children and teens age 18 and under during the summer as a sponsor of the SFSP. This summer, meals will be served at Mexico High School, Mexico Middle School, Eugene Field Elementary and Hawthorne Elementary on Monday – Fridays starting June 1st through June 30th, except June 19th, which is a federal holiday.
Mexico 59 is not the only local agency providing free meals when school is out. Please watch for flyers and notices of other places that will be serving meals when MPS summer session ends after June 30th.
Families can also find summer meal information at www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks for locations and other details. Families may also contact the MPS Food Services Office at 573-581-3773 ext 2406 for more information or questions.
Mexico 59 is an equal opportunity provider and employer.