Putnam County Summer Feeding Program Kicks-Off Friday

The Putnam County School System will kick-off their annual Summer Feeding Program Friday.

Nutrition Field Manager Chrissy Flowers said the program helps provide nutritious food for families while kids are out of school.

“A lot of people don’t understand the true need of food during the summer months. You know, I think when people think about our program they think, ‘Oh that’s for poor people,”’ Flowers said. “No, it’s not necessarily that. We understand the burden of  adding to the grocery bill during the summer months, especially if you have more than one mouth to feed.”

The program will host a Summer Feeding Bash in Dogwood Park starting at 11 a.m. Students 18 years old and under eat free while adults can purchase a ticket for a meal.

Flowers said the program will offer warm meals at various locations throughout the summer.

“A child is not going to ask you for more food unless they are hungry. And it doesn’t mean their parents are doing something bad but it means that there is a struggle out there,” Flowers said. “And we have the ability to take some of that burden away from our parents. That’s why I truly have said in the past that the Summer Feeding is a great program.”

The program also offers free breakfast at participating schools in Putnam County.

Field Manager Lynette Ellis said the Summer Feeding will take place in Jackson, Overton, and Smith Counties as well.

“It really benefits our program by helping those people in Jackson County,” Ellis said. “They have a Summer Feeding that they do like the first two weeks at one of their schools but they don’t really go out into the community.”

Ellis said the program will offer meals at Roaring River Park and Cummins Falls as well as Dogwood Park.

Putnam County Schools delivered over 2,500 meals through their free summer meals program in 2018.