MIDDLEBURG – The Clay County School District’s free summer meals program has been an essential buffer between the end of the school year and the start of the next for hundreds of parents and students who are in need.
The District’s food truck, “The Filling Station,” visited Paul C. Armstrong Park last week on a sweltering afternoon. The food truck serves about 15 to 30 people a day and it’s being used during the summer program for the first time.
Shellie Howard was with her kids Brooklyn, Zachary and Bella. From Fort White, Shellie Howard said she would appreciate a similar program in her community. While kids eat free, parents pay $2.50. Children can socialize after they eat, she said.
“I think the program could do really good for the community, not only the kids, but the parents, too,” Shellie Howard said.
“It’s amazing!” Brooklyn Howard said.
Debra Martin is the food truck manager. Martin said she had gathered a few regulars over the course of the free summer meals program, and she wished more people participated.
“The school sends stuff out and I know people are busy. But if I were a young parent, I would be using it,” Martin said. “[The food truck] is something special. It’s pretty, so it attracts a little bit of attention.”
Sharon and her granddaughter Kaylee sat down with food next to the Howard family.
“It’s a great opportunity to feed people who may not have enough food, and it’s a good time to connect to other people,” she said. “Kids really need a nutritious meal for one thing.”
Clay’s program is part of the federal nonprofit Summer Food Service Program. Clay County School District’s Director of Food and Nutrition Services, Susan Glover, said about 575 lunches and 400 breakfasts are served each week between seven sites.
“Because the school year ends, that doesn’t mean hunger does,” Glover said.
Previously, students at the mobile station could only get cold meals from a school bus.
“We serve a lot of the same items over the school year that we do in the summer months,” Glover said. “I wanted to make sure we were able to utilize the food truck throughout the year, not just the actual school months.”
At Ridgeview Elementary, school staff said they served about 60 people a day at breakfast and between 80-to-100 daily for lunch. A school group left for a field trip and the cafeteria was deserted.
Dannyelle Howard arrived with her sons, Elijah and Jadon. She said she went for the program every day. Elijah, who is entering kindergarten at Ridgeview next year, saw his school early.
“The kids get to eat and get out of the house for a couple of hours,” Dannyelle Howard said.
The program ends Monday, July 29. Lunch is available Monday through Friday, noon-1 p.m., and breakfast is served from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. The food truck visits Paul C. Armstrong Park from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The full list of sites is available at claycountyfns.com.
For a list of other Clay County non-profits, visit here.