Crenshaw schools to receive summer meals grant

Crenshaw County schools are set to receive a grant from No Kid Hungry to help further their summer meals program, and reach more students than ever before.

No Kid Hungry is a nonprofit organization that aims to support children and solve the hunger problems some children and their families face.

“We still have child hunger in America, food insecurity impacts millions of families,” said Eleni Towns, director of the No Kid Hungry State Campaign. “ At a time where we know food insecurity is high, that food prices are high and families are really stretched, we’re really excited about this new summer provision and so thankful for school districts and community based organizations like Crenshaw County that are stepping up to help meet the need and to serve their community.”

To support their goals, No Kid Hungry selected four different school systems throughout Alabama to receive grants totalling $105,000. Crenshaw County Schools was one of the school systems chosen for the award.

“We provide grants to school districts and community-based organizations that are operating a Summer Meals Program,” Towns said. “The grants are available really to provide additional support to make sure the programs are operating in the best ways that they can.”

No Kid Hungry reports that more than half of rural families say they don’t have enough money for food during the summer. Over 80% spend more on groceries when their children are out of school for the summer – an average of $168 more each month.

Crenshaw County schools’ summer meals program helps parents combat this disparity by collecting at the school’s different pick-up sites, some with multiple meals included.

“There’s long been a huge gap between the number of kids getting meals in the summertime and the kids who really need them – particularly in rural communities,”Towns said. “New flexibilities for summer meals in rural communities means that no longer has to be the case. We’re excited to support these schools and community groups in offering summer meals in ways that work for their community – like allowing families to pick up multiple meals at a time or dropping off meals in convenient locations within communities.”

No Kid Hungry’s grant will help support any adaptations needed for Crenshaw County schools to reach as many kids as possible with their summer meals, including meal delivery, refrigeration and transportation costs.

According to Towns, Crenshaw County schools plan to use the grant funds, once all details are finalized, to purchase a van for transporting meals to families unable to visit the pick-up sites..

“Crenshaw County’s nutrition team and director [Ruth Bayman] are really committed to providing summer meals to their students, and they have offered the program in previous years,” Towns said. “What they found was that they were concerned about those families who couldn’t come to the meal site to pick up meals. We’re hopeful [once all details are finalized the van] can expand meals this summer and in future summers.”

There are still a few dates left for the summer feeding program, and it is free for kids and teens. Parents can pick up meals in Brantley, Dozier, Highland Home and Luverne on July 11, 18, 25, and August 1.

Parents can also register for the meal pick ups by signing up through a QR code on the summer meals program flier, which can be found on the Crenshaw County schools facebook page. For more information, visit www.crenshaw-schools.org , or call 334-335-6519.

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