John Monfredo: Worcester Schools Expand Breakfast/Supper Programs

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Saturday, July 27, 2013

John Monfredo, GoLocalWorcester Education Contributor

Summer vacation not only has an impact on summer learning, but additionally, a large number of students who qualify for federally subsidized meals find they no longer have access to nutritious meals. According to research, only 1 in 5 of the 15.3 million children who receive free or reduced-price lunches on a typical day during the school year participate in federal nutrition programs during the summer. Low-income children also face health and nutrition setbacks over the summer. Children gain weight two or three times faster during the summer months, a trend more pronounced in minority children.

Therefore, the Worcester Public Schools received great news when at a press conference last week held at the Dennis F. Shine Memorial Swimming Pool at Vernon Hill Park it was announced that the Worcester Public Schools was in partnership with the Worcester County Food Bank and the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service) in expanding its summer breakfast and supper program this summer. A mobile food truck funded by Our Family Foundation of Stop and Shop New England will be delivering meals to two sites…Vernon Hill Park/Pool and Bennett Field Park/Pool.

Donna Lombardi, Director of the School Nutrition office of the Worcester Public Schools, indicated that during the school year, many families rely on free and reduced price school meals for their children but then comes the summer break and the children’s meals no longer take place. Mrs. Lombardi stated, “As the programming at the Vernon Hill Park/Pool and Bennett Field Park/Pool unfolds the school department will be looking for additional opportunities for programs not currently participating in the USDA Summer Meal Program, especially those programs where facility and location has been the preventative factor.”

This pilot program will take place at Vernon Hill Park/Pool at 146 Providence Street Monday through Saturday until August 23rd. Breakfast will be distributed at 10:00-10:30 a.m. and supper from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m. The program will also run at Bennett Field Park/Pool at 1258 Main Street with Breakfast at 11:00-11:30 a.m. and Supper from 4:00 to 4:30 p.m. If you’re interested in what’s for supper it’s a sandwich on whole grain bread, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit and a bottle of water. Sounds good!

The program entitled, “Summer Food Rocks” will allow the Worcester Public Schools to provide meals in locations where facility and space has created challenges. The idea for summer meals came about last December when the Worcester County Food Bank headed by Jean McMurray approached the Worcester Public Schools with the “Feeding More Children” initiative from “Our Family Foundation, Stop and Shop of New England. Together the Worcester Food Bank and the Worcester Public Schools collaborated on a proposal for a refrigerated mobile summer meal delivery truck that would fulfill the nutritional gap created when school is not in session and the children do not have access to school meals.

At the press conference Louis D’Amato, store manager at Stop and Shop in Shrewsbury, Jean McMurray from the Worcester County Food Bank, James Arena-DeRosa USDA Regional Administrator, and Donna Lombardi from the Worcester Public Schools all spoke about the importance of this program and the impact it will have on the children.

The Worcester Schools will still continue its USDA program in our summer school programs with children receiving lunch throughout the summer school program. In addition, Friendly House through the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program in Worcester does have fourteen sites where food snacks are given to the children. For more information on the “Summer Food Rocks” program contact Donna Lombardi at 508 799-3132 or Jean McMurray at 508 842-3663.

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