Lunch Program Provides Summer Nutrition
Each Tuesday from June 22 through Aug. 10, cars lined up at the Paradise Elementary School in the Pequea Valley School District (PVSD) from 11 a.m. to noon and 5 to 6 p.m. Lisa Eckert, director of early learning with PVSD, worked with The Factory Ministries to oversee the summer lunch program, which fed about 100 children each week during that time period.
The program was funded by a Pennsylvania Department of Education Summer Food Service Program grant, which Eckert explained qualified the area as an open site because of the number of families receiving free and reduced-cost lunches. At an open site, it is not necessary to qualify each family that receives food. "The program is open to any child in PVSD through age 18," said Eckert, who added that normally lunches would be eaten on site, but due to COVID-19 concerns a drive-through system was utilized.
Each student received two lunches and two snacks per week. "Each of those has required components based on the grant," explained Eckert, who noted that each lunch must offer milk, a grain, fruit, a vegetable, and a meat or meat substitute such as yogurt, cheese, or peanut butter. "Snacks must have two of those components," said Eckert. "Each snack must have a milk and grain or a grain and a protein (or other combination)." Local businesses partnered with organizers to provide some food items. Volunteers packed lunches each Tuesday morning and distributed them as recipients arrived.
On July 13, the volunteers gave away free books along with the lunches, piling a table high with children's books to distribute.
Although the program was advertised through a variety of means before school let out, because it was an open site, organizers did not necessarily see the same families each week. "We surveyed (parents) before the end of the school year," said Eckert, who added that organizers keep track of the families that are being served to be sure they have enough food.
Readers who would like to learn more about The Factory and other food programs organized by staff members may visit https://thefactoryministries.com.
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