Franklin County Schools now are offering free summer lunches to students.

Geraldine Jette, food service director for the schools, says for the first time in her tenure the district is feeding children during the summer.

The federally funded program was approved by the county board of education at its meeting May 7.
Tamara Clawson, assistant manager at Bridgeport Elementary School, operates one of the sites offering free meals.

Clawson picks up food from Elkhorn Elementary School each morning and brings it to her home where she serves it on a picnic table under a mesh tent at Capitol Mobile Home Park on Georgetown Road.

Open-sites, such as at the mobile home park and Elkhorn Elementary School, allow any child to get a free meal, Jette said. As of Thursday, there are eight sites " five are enrolled sites and require children to sign up for the service. Jette said the YMCA, Bridgeport Elementary School Tiger Time and Franklin County High School/Education Development Center are among enrolled sites.

For enrolled sites, there are no forms to fill out to receive lunch and no registration is needed, but students must be enrolled in the site's summer program, program coordinator Donna Miller said.
Clawson's home is one of three open-sites currently, Jette said.

Jette said she wants to establish more open sites before the end of the summer.

The program began serving lunches one week ago; Miller said 300 lunches are being prepared each day. She said each day sites report a number for the requested amount of lunches.

Clawson said the first day 17 children showed up for the free food, she said that number has decreased over the week, but she hopes more children will participate. She said she estimates at least 50 children live in the mobile home park.

"I hope it gets bigger," she said. "I'm just really trying to get more kids to come."

Clawson also wants others to volunteer their time and facilities so that the program can reach more children countywide.

"We absolutely need more open sites," she said.

Lunches are free to children age one to 18 or adults with disabilities and are not limited to students in Franklin County Schools, Jette said.

Miller said the program isn't just for students who receive free or reduced lunch during the school year, it is offered to all children because the school district meets federal guidelines for having 50 percent or more students on free or reduced lunch.

Clawson said adults could buy lunch, which includes a main entre, side of chips, fruit, vegetables and milk, for $1.50.

"[The goal is] to feed the children," Clawson said. "To make sure they get at least one meal a day."
Jette said sites go through regular inspections throughout the summer to make sure they are meeting health department requirements.

Kathy Moore brings her two children to Clawson's lunch site.

"It gets them out of the house," she said. "It's less that I have to worry about, it helps on food bills."

Lunches are served weekdays until July 31, with the exception of July 4, Clawson said.

"The most important thing is feeding the children who do not have the ability to get food anywhere," Miller said.

Frankfort Independent Schools also offers a free summer meal program, serving breakfast and lunch at Second Street School from 7:30 to 8 a.m. and 11 to 11:30 a.m. June 11 to 29.