The Bledsoe County School summer feeding program is a vital support for the rural community of 14,000+ residents. Led by their School Nutrition Supervisor, Kristy Owens, the team of 14 dedicated school nutrition staff and often other volunteers distribute meal bags containing a week’s worth of breakfast and lunch meals to local children. Packing of the meal bags begins on Monday and by Friday morning, families are lined up in their cars about a mile long for the meal distribution. Each Friday, with parents/guardians lined up in their school bus loop, they have been averaging 900 bags or 900 children served weekly that provide essential nourishment along with  cooking instructions, ensuring families have access to nutritious food during the month of June when school isn’t in session.

Each child receives 2 dry bags, 1 produce bag, 2 frozen bags and ½ gallon of white and chocolate milk. The feedback from families has been overwhelmingly positive as many students and parents are heard thanking the team as they drive through to pick up the meals for the children each week. Included in the 7 days of breakfast and lunch meals are a variety of child friendly meals from pizza and chicken sandwiches to cereal and waffles along with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Some children in Bledsoe county do participate in summer school provided by the district, where they receive meals while in the building. These children do receive a bag of shelf-stable meals as they leave school to cover the weekend when summer school isn’t in session.

A grateful grandfather remarked, “These meals are very helpful to our family during the summer months.” A substitute teacher, thankful for her children’s SEBT cards, shared that she doesn’t get paid during the summer months, so these meals make a huge difference for her family. Mrs. Owens shares that in some instances the children see the excitement as one little boy happily chugged his ½ gallon of chocolate milk as he drove off from the pick-up line.

The positive feedback from grateful parents and joyful children reminds the team of the impact they make, turning the team’s efforts into a true community lifeline.