BUTTE, Mont. — Summer is here, and that means the kids are out of class, but that doesn’t mean they can’t still have a school lunch, and maybe even a school breakfast.
Action Inc.’s free summer meals program is back in Southwest Montana, providing anyone 18 and under with grab and go or sit-down meals on weekdays to ensure no child goes hungry.
“When school is no longer in session, those children are kind of without, in a sense. So, it is essential that we provide these services to feed those children, so they are not going hungry,” said Erica Johnson, Free Summer Meals program coordinator for Acton Inc.
The program kicks off this year on June 16 at 16 locations in Butte and one each in Deer Lodge and Whitehall, while a sister program in Anaconda organized by their local school district begins serving meals at eight sites on June 9. And these tens of thousands of free meals come with no strings attached.
“Just come to the site, you do not have to have a parent with you, and any child 18 or younger can receive a meal,” said Johnson.
Action Inc.’s program is only made possible through a collaborative effort, with the food prepared at East Middle School before being distributed.
“This is through a collaborative effort from the USDA, Montana Office of Public Instruction, as well as many other individuals, businesses, and service organizations that volunteer their time to deliver these meals in the community,” said Johnson.
While some funding comes from the Town Pump Foundation to serve one of the sites which is ineligible for federal funding, there is some concern the future of this program could be in jeopardy in upcoming federal budget cuts, so Action Inc. officials say it’s critical that people show support for it.
“It is a great hope of ours that this program continues and continues to receive the funding in order for it to serve community members in the way that it is,” said Johnson.
For more information on the program, and how to find a site near you, check out the flyers above.
发表回复