Welcome back to our blog series, the No Kid Hungry New York Partner Spotlight. We’ll be speaking to our partners across the state, learning what’s new in their summer meals programs, and celebrating the tremendous work they do to ensure that more kids have access to the the fuel they need to learn, grow and thrive. This week, we heard from Zach Zarling at Peru Central School District, a rural district in the North Country.
Tell us about your community. What makes the area special?
Our community is a small, close-knit community that thrives on farming, mainly dairy and apple farming. As a whole, we help one another and that is why this non-congregate program is so important. The family to family interaction has been incredible. Some families who weren’t aware of what the program was and didn’t sign up were told by the families that did about all of the items they were receiving and that the kids loved. This program has helped bring the community together more than it already is!
How have kids and families expressed gratitude for flexible summer feeding options such as grab-n-go meals, pick-up meals and home-delivered meals?
Both kids and adults have commended my team and I for simply running the program. The need is immense and this being our first year, the families continuously thank us for being here. They are also grateful that we are willing to sit outside in 95 degree heat to hand out meals from 7 hours!
What are the most popular items on your summer menu? What is your favorite item to serve?
The two most popular items that we have served are homemade breakfast bread and string cheese sticks! The bread is made from either blueberry, strawberry, banana or all of the above. Beyond that, the kids have expressed interest in the goulash and spaghetti with meat sauce served regularly during the year that is made from scratch and made with local ground beef.
If you could tell everyone in America something about summer meals, especially flexible feeding options (e.g. grab-no-go, pick-up meals, home-delivered meals), what would you tell them?
I would tell everyone that there are so many children out there that are not properly fed during the summer due to financial constraints. This program helps alleviate this issue, but does not completely solve it. The more programs involved in the summer meals program, the more kids that don’t go unfed during the summer. Every child deserves a chance to have food on the table every day.
What keeps you motivated to do this work?
Our team members and the people that we serve. If it weren’t for such an amazing staff, this program wouldn’t be possible. Thanks to Daniele, Tiffany, Ashley and Amanda for making everything run smoothly this summer. Especially since it was our first and there were definitely bumps along the way!
At No Kid Hungry New York, we thank Zach and the food service staff members at Peru Central School District for their dedication and enthusiasm in feeding kids throughout the summer. We’re grateful to support their work and honored to shine a spotlight on their extraordinary program!
