State-Journal.com - Taking a bite out of lunch costs

Photo By State Journal/Kelly Mackey

Frankfort Independent’s Food Services Director April Peach-Yancey helps her daughter, Bronzie, 6, put ketchup on her hamburger.

Photo By State Journal/Kelly Mackey

Kayden Lewis, 5, eats an apple at Second Street School during the summer feeding program.

Photo By State Journal/Kelly Mackey

Rachel Poston, 6, left, and Lily Hagan, 6, eat lunch at Second Street School during the summer feeding program. They attend Cubs Club at SSS.

Local school districts kicked off their annual summer feeding programs this week, offering free meals to hundreds of Frankfort’s low-income kids.

“Kids eat year round, and we are providing this during the summer because we do have kids in our school system who do not eat any meals but the meals they eat while they’re in school,” said Geraldine Jette, director of Food Service for Franklin County Public Schools.

An estimated 800 to 900 Franklin County kids take advantage of the free meals each summer – between 500 and 600 at FCPS sites, and 300 through Frankfort Independent Schools.

According to state Nutrition and Health Services, more than 2,300 sites operate throughout Kentucky, serving 3.5 million meals each summer.

“Each year we get more and more,” Jette said.

Since it started in 2007, the district has added feeding sites and an additional cafeteria worker to handle the increased workload. Now six workers, plus Jette and Assistant Director Donna Miller, work through the summer.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture runs the program, but at the local level, schools, governments and nonprofit organizations sponsor its daily operation.

All children ages 18 and younger can receive a free meal at the five open sites in Frankfort and Franklin County: Elkhorn Middle School, Capital Mobile Home Park, Housing Authority of Frankfort, Second Street School and Bellepoint.

Open sites must be located in low-income areas, or serve primarily low-income children, but kids aren’t screened before they are served.

“It is so important to us to see these kids taken care of, not only when they’re at school, but when they’re away from us,” said April Peach-Yancey, director of Food Services for FIS.

“If the door can be open, we want to make sure it’s open for them, so that they have a place to go, because a lot of them may not.”

On Wednesday, students crowded the lunch tables at Second Street School with their sack lunches. They chomped on hamburgers, chips, fruit, carrots, milk and cookies.

FCPS budgets $36,000 for its summer feeding program, Jette said. It costs $1.10 to produce each breakfast and $1.80 for lunch, plus salaries and other operation expenses.

The federal government reimburses school districts $1.81 for each breakfast served, and $3.18 for each lunch.

“Sometimes it costs more than we really receive, but during the summer, we usually can maintain the food costs,” Jette said.

“Even though we don’t make money off it, we can feed those kids, we can give them that opportunity to get at least two meals.”

Peach-Yancey says she budgets her government commodities and fruit and vegetable funds throughout the year in preparation for summer. The 25-day period also requires fewer staff members.

The cost to run the program at FIS is $12,800.

“Summer is always a break even, and it sometimes is a benefit to us,” she said.

“We’re not in it for the money. We’re in it for the service to the kids, because we know they’re out there and they’re hungry, and they know they can come here and get a meal.”

Peach-Yancey says one of the challenges of running the program is convincing parents that the meals really are free and available to all children. Summer food costs can overwhelm families on free or reduced lunch during the school year, she said.

“The meals are absolutely, completely and totally free,” she said. “The only rule is that you take the meal as a unit, and you consume it here.

“We’re here to help the parents out with that situation, and we’re here to help out the kids. We don’t want them to worry about where their meal is coming from.”

Adults can participate too, though they must pay $2.50 for the meal. Parents sometimes want to eat with their children, she said.

FCPS also sponsors 13 enrollment sites at community centers and churches for kids who participate in summer programs. FIS sponsors four enrollment sites, including the YMCA.

Unlike the open sites, enrollment sites aren’t free to the public, and regular free and reduced lunch guidelines apply: kids who don’t meet income eligibility pay for their meals.

Food is prepared at a central location – Elkhorn Middle School and Second Street School – and site supervisors pick up the meals there. Peach-Yancey and Jette provide training and inspect the sites for cleanliness and compliance with serving guidelines.

Peach-Yancey says she works throughout the year to recruit more sites, through advertising and word-of-mouth.

“The more sites I have, the more my program supports itself,” she said.

But Peach-Yancey says she has seen a decrease in participation at the satellite sites this year – as many as 50 fewer meals. FIS has offered the summer feeding program for more than 10 years.

“I’m guessing it’s probably the economy,” she said. “It’s due to the fact that parents can’t necessarily afford the summer camps and the summer programs for their kids.”

MEAL SITES

Meals are offered at the following sites until July 31. No meals will be served on July 3:
>Elkhorn Middle School, 1060 E. Main St., breakfast from 8-9:30 a.m.; lunch from 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
>Capital Mobile Home Park, 5134 Georgetown Road Lot #43, breakfast from 8-9 a.m.; lunch from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
>Housing Authority of Frankfort, 590 Walter Todd Drive, lunch from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
>A site will open in Bellepoint on July 7-9, 21-23 and 28-30.
Meals are offered at the following site until July 24. No meals will be served on June 29 through July 3:
>Second Street School, 506 W. Second St.; breakfast 7:30-8 a.m., lunch 11-11:30 a.m.