CMS Begins Summer Meal Program For Needy Students

Summer means free time in the sun and sleepaway camp for many CMS students. But there are many others for whom no school means no food, says Amy Harkey. She's the assistant director of Child Nutrition Services for CMS. Monday was the start of the district's summer feeding program. It's meant to feed children who qualify for subsidized lunch during the school year. Harkey says the program will serve about 25,000 free meals each week day through August 13. Sometimes we don't realize the situations families are in, says Harkey. "Speaking to one of the children today at the site, he said 'Our refrigerator's broken and I had cereal with no milk because my milk is stored at my uncle's house and we don't have anything to eat except canned goods," says Harkey. This is the first year CMS is offering breakfast and lunch for students at 185 different school, church and camp sites. Any child under 18 can receive a meal, but the sites are located primarily in neighborhoods with a high concentration of poverty. Harkey says this summer's meal program is funded entirely by a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.