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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — Parker-Bennett-Curry Elementary School cafeteria worker Connie Williams knows the need for food doesn't go away once summer break begins because "there's so many kids that go hungry when they're not in school." She has been helping prepare for the school's summer feeding program.
Thanks to the efforts of city and county schools, anyone 18 years old or younger can enjoy free breakfast and lunch during the summer.
For Bowling Green's city schools, breakfast will be served at 7:30 a.m. Monday through Friday at Dishman-McGinnis and Parker-Bennett-Curry elementary schools starting Monday. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. at both locations, as well as at the Bowling Green Independent School District Professional Development and Learning Center.
County schools will host their programs at Warren Elementary and Natcher Elementary schools starting Monday where breakfast and lunch at both schools will be served at 7:45 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Karen Manley, family resource coordinator at Natcher Elementary, said, the program is an open invitation for kids to come and have a free lunch.
"And it's the same quality food that they would receive if school is in session," she said.
Manley has seen the good other food programs can do, such as a program that sends students home with backpacks of food for the weekend.
Efforts to fight hunger can also benefit other programs, she said.
Community Education, which provides two educational day camps for children, is one of those programs. Erin Lightfoot, associate director of Community Education, said without the summer food programs at Warren and Natcher elementary schools, the day camps would have to charge extra or ask parents to prepare lunches for their kids. Instead, the children can enjoy field trips to the swimming pool and afternoon lessons about dinosaurs. Meanwhile, parents don't have to worry about their kids going hungry.
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Information from: Daily News, http://www.bgdailynews.com
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