Putnam Summer Feeding Program Begins May 24

When the school year finishes, the Summer Feeding program begins. Putnam County Schools’ School Nutrition Program Supervisor Kathlyn Walter said the program makes sure that children don’t go hungry during the summer months.

“We have groups in daycares and camps that might be better supported with our programs as well. We feed at multiple camps and recreation centers and enrichment programs. But yeah, we do it largely because there is a need in our area. I just spoke with an employee yesterday about how it can be really eye-opening to see the needs in our community when we’re feeding this summer,” Walter said.

Summer feeding is a free program, she said. Any child age 18 and under can eat free, no questions asked.

“It’s offered throughout communities that are found to be high free and reduced (lunch prices). Ours are pretty national average, but we do this, one, to support our school district, it’s a great way for our program to offer meals to our students throughout the whole calendar year and to ensure that no one goes hungry,” Walter said.

Funding comes from the federal government. The more meals they serve, the more money is reimbursed.

“Largely what we deliver is cold food items, it might be sandwiches, on Friday we’re serving Papa John’s pizza, we have a bid with them. We’ve found lots of kids show up for Friday pizza day. At our locations that are open, Avery Trace, Prescott and Cane Creek, they’ll be serving hot meals as well. They might have fried chicken and mashed potatoes, popcorn chicken, pulled pork barbeque,” Walter said.

The summer feeding program uses buses to get to kids in every part of the county. Twenty sites are part of the program.

“One of the exciting things is we’re extending our bus routes and being consistent so families know when to expect the buses. We’re going to be consistent with them,” she said. “Schedules are online at pcsstn.com, departments, school nutrition and it’s on the right hand side,” Walter said.

Kids are encouraged to just come as they are, when they can. You don’t even have to show up every day.

“Our goal is to reach as many as we can, expand into more areas that are difficult to reach as well. Last year we didn’t spend a lot of time in Algood, we’re going to try to not leave them out. The kids that have the difficulty getting to the locations are the ones who need it the most, so the buses stop at housing projects throughout the city and the county. We want to reach as many kids as we can and in the hard to reach places as well,” she said.

Walter said no questions are asked and no registration is required for the program.