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Greensboro, NC (WGHP) — Summer meal programs across the Piedmont Triad aim to keep getting students at least one nutritious meal a day even when they’re out of school.
FOX8’s Lindsay Tuman got a look at what it takes to put the meals out in Davidson County.
Davidson County School Nutrition staff work to put out lunch and breakfast in schools across the county to help students access the same foods they love to eat during the school year.
“The students are happy like yesterday they had blueberries. And they walked in and they said ‘Oh, blueberries!’ And they saw the quesadillas and all of the foods that they like,” Child Nutrition Assistant Rhonda Reid said.
About 43 percent of students in Davidson County Schools are on the free or reduced lunch program. Some staff say by serving these meals, many kids are trying foods they might not have had before and may even help bring healthy habits home.
“I’m excited about it, I love it. Because a lot of the fruits and the vegetables that we have here, they don’t have at home. A lot of them are the pack and go, grab and go foods at home because a lot of the parents work,” Welcome Elementary School Cafeteria Manager Stacie Torrence said.
This program gets somewhat of a later start than others across the Piedmont. The district organizes it to start alongside the summer reading program in the schools. That’s because in the past there’s been somewhat of a low turnout to locations because it can be challenging for students to access the meal sites.
That’s why the district is looking at ways to grow the summer meals program.
“But we are looking at ways that we can reach out to the community more during that time and hopefully in the future we will be able to reach more of those students more during that time we will be able to expand our program more or expand the number of sites that we are participating at,” Davidson County Schools Nutrition Director Kristen Bealler said.
Some of the things they are considering for the future include partnering up with more community groups in an effort to add more locations, and also possibly adding mobile options to get into more areas.
Summer meal options in Lexington City Schools and Thomasville City Schools also help more children all around the county access meals during the summer.
The meals are all free for anyone 18 years old and younger.
Information on meals for Lexington/Thomasville Schools/ Davidson County:
Thomasville
Free and fresh meals served for kids every Monday through Saturday now until Aug. 18. Just look for the TCS labeled vans. Lunch is also served daily at TPS and THS.
For meal drop off locations and more information, go to Lexington city schools:
June 10 through Aug. 1
Lexington High School breakfast 8:30 to 9 a.m.
Lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Monday through Thursday
Pleasant Village Apartments
Lunch 12:15 to 12:45 p.m.
Monday through Thursday
Club Apartments
Lunch 11:15 to 11:45 a.m.
Monday through Thursday
Lexington Public Library
Lunch 12:15 to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays
Davidson County
Lunch 1:10 to 1:30 p.m.
Denton Elementary
Tyro Elementary
Breakfast 8:10 to 8:30 a.m.
Lunch 12:45 to 1:56 p.m.
Brier Creek Elementary
Hasty Elementary
Silver Valley Elementary
Southmont Elementary
Welcome Elementary
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