For many students, summer is all about fun, relaxing and most importantly, getting away from the classroom. For others, the summer months represent a growling stomach, particularly as school meal programs come to an end.
But Boys and Girls Clubs across the Golden Triangle are working to make sure this is not a reality for their club members this summer.
Christopher Thompson, unit director for the Starkville unit, said the Boys and Girls Club meal program is providing free breakfast from 8 to 9 a.m. and lunch from noon to 1 p.m. for children at all three units across the Golden Triangle through July 21.
“We always think about those parents who have to work or those parents who don’t have time to cook while their child is at home for the summertime,” Thompson said. “We want to be able to provide meals for kids. They can’t go left hungry this summer. They know they can come to the club. Even if they’re not in the club, they can come for a hot meal and get breakfast and lunch.”
The club serves chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, broccoli, pizza and more, to provide balanced meals in compliance with requirements from the Mississippi Department of Human Services between school years, when children no longer have access to their school cafeteria every day.
For students in the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, the first day of school is July 25. But the summer meal program for Henderson Ward Stewart ended June 30, and the Partnership Middle School program ended June 23.
Thompson said the Starkville Boys and Girls Club was conscious of these end dates when planning the summer food program, to try to fill the gap.
“When our food service director talked to the state about this program … she said summer does not just end in June,” Thompson said.
Parents struggle with feeding their children during the summer for a variety of reasons, Thompson said, including busyness with jobs and financial insecurity. He said the club doesn’t judge the reason, but is always glad to get the opportunity to help. He said his club feeds about 70 meals to kids every day.
For the Columbus Unit of the Boys and Girls Club, the number is even higher. Unit Director Brittany Turner said the club feeds an average of 100 meals every day.
“We have had so many people in the community … pour so much into us as an organization and as a unit, that we try whenever we can to be able to return on the investment,” Turner said. “We have people who randomly drop in and say they have a meal for the kids, or who donate for us to purchase snacks. … It means a lot to us, and it is teaching our kids to give back.”
The Lowndes County School District also has a summer meal program available for students running through July 14, while the first day of school there is July 27.
Though the West Point Unit of the Boys and Girls Club is the smallest of the three in the Golden Triangle, Unit Director Malika Moore said her club still serves meals to about 65 kids a day.
“We are here for those who are not able to provide meals for their kids at home,” Moore said. “Our doors are open.”
The West Point Consolidated School District did not host a summer meal program this year. The first day of school for students there is July 27.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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