Free breakfasts and lunches for all children under 18; try them out at L.P. Quinn School

by Dan McClelland

Breakfasts and lunches are available to any child and to teenagers under 18 years of age this summer...and they are free!

The free meal program, run out of the L.P. Quinn Elementary School, insures that no child living in this school district should go hungry this summer.

The government-funded program started July 7 and continues until August 15. Every school day during that time period, breakfast will be served at the school cafeteria from 7:30a.m. to 8:30a.m. Lunch is all take-out and distribution is between noon and 1p.m.

However, pupils who show up for breakfast can pick up their lunches then.

There is no sign-up required to qualify for the free meals.

The breakfast and lunch menus are available on the district’s web site: www.tupperlakecsd.net.

Because of changes in recent years through the federal free and reduced-price meal program in recent years the district has been able to provide students with free meals twice a day each school day. -And this new government program extended that into the weeks of summer.

This summer’s program is under the direction of Shelly Connor, who will be the head cook at the high school cafeteria in the fall.

Shelly has worked in both school cafeterias over the years and was recently promoted to head cook at the high school. The head cook at L.P. Quinn is Julie Boyer.

This summer, however, Shelly’s the lone force at L.P. Quinn running the summer free meal program, according to Allison Hollingsworth, who is the district’s new food service director, overseeing all operations at both cafeterias.

She said last week they are hoping more children will get out of bed earlier each summer day to enjoy a satisfying and healthy breakfasts. Parents must bring them to the elementary school for the free breakfast.

She said too some of the local daycare providers have been thinking about bringing children up for breakfast, and they are all welcome.

“I contacted several of them and encouraged them to come and get the free food.”

“The campers in the town’s day camp program are currently getting their breakfasts here when their activities are centered in the school building. Lunches will be distributed to them too.”

She admits that in the first few days, yjr breakfast business has been slow. It was advertised through social media, through the district’s parental contact system and in the hometown paper.

Although lunches will be distributed over the noon hour, the program is very flexible. “If kids come for breakfast, we will have lunches ready for them too,” Mrs. Hollingsworth explained.

She said although there is no prior sign-up, if a child comes for breakfast or picks up a lunch, there is a form they are asked to sign.

The food served must all comply with the federal food and nutrition guidelines, just like it is through the regular meal program during the school year, she explained.

“A typical breakfast includes grains and fruit. They are going to get a juice or milk- white or chocolate. Today we did bagels with cream cheese and jelly, plus fruit- a cup or a fresh one.”

Ms. Connor noted they are trying to encourage fresh fruit as much as possible.

“Some times banana and blueberry breads are served, which are both delicious,” said Mrs. Hollingsworth.

The meals vary by day and menus are on the school website.

According to the food director, a popular lunch might be a deli sandwich or flat breads. “We also are serving Bagel Bites and a pizza-like Hot Pocket type items, which the kids really like!”

Fruit is typically served as a lunch dessert, Ms. Connor noted.

One lunch this month will feature a chicken Cesar salad, said Mrs. Hollingsworth.

“Homemade chicken salad, served on a roll,” is what Ms. Connor was planning for this past Friday.

Thursday the lunch feature was what Mrs. Hollingsworth called “a protein pack- a hard-boiled egg, a slice of deli meat, a slice of cheese, etc.

Any time potato chips are served, they are the baked variety, she also told the Free Press.

“We’d like to see as many people as possible participate in the program...the food is all good and the meals are free,” both women said.

Mrs. Hollingsworth said too that Christielee Geiger, who runs the youth activities portion of the town recreation department, has been encouraging the campers in the summer program to take advantage of this program. “She’s signed up a lot of kids and she’s been giving us the numbers so we can more accurately prepare!

In some recent days there have been three dozen or so campers coming for breakfast and then picking up their lunches.

“Shelly is on her own up here and I’m helping from behind the scenes,” explained Allison. “In these first few days Shelly has been really knocking out these great meals every day!

She’s also handling the cafeteria clean-up after breakfast and after lunch. Her days begin about 6:30a.m. to get everything ready for the 7:30a.m. start of breakfast. Part of her job is producing “the numbers” for government reporting.

The two staffers are working hard these days to build a good free meal program for every child here. Their main wish is for people to participate so the district can demonstrate that free meals are important to this community and its children.