Sara Clifft
Editor
On August 31 the Department of Agriculture announced the extension of its summer feeding program.
“As our nation reopens and people return to work, it remains critical our children continue to receive safe, healthy and nutritious food. During the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA has provided an unprecedented amount of flexibilities to help schools feed kids through the school meal programs, and today, we are also extending summer meal program flexibilities for as long as we can, legally and financially,” Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in the USDA’s official press release.
The program, a combination of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO), will extend through the end of 2020 or until available funding runs out.
“This extension of summer program authority will employ summer program sponsors to ensure meals are reaching all children -- whether they are learning in the classroom or virtually -- so they are fed and ready to learn, even in new and ever-changing learning environments,” Secretary Perdue said.
Not only will the program be extended, but its accessibility will also be expanded.
The changes will allow meals to be served at any time throughout the day and allow officials to distribute them in all areas at no cost.
Parents or guardians will also be able to pick up food for their children, whereas in the past only the child receiving the meal would be allowed to pick it up.
“I think it’s great. A lot of these parents’ jobs are gone and the kids that fall between the cracks, that don’t get the free or reduced meal, I think it’s gonna help a lot of them,” said Cafeteria Manager Cindy Sawyers.
When picking up a meal, students must meet federal nutrition standards.
“There are five different components to a meal: meat/meat alternative, bread/grain, milk, fruit and vegetable. They have to get three items, and one of them has to be a fruit or vegetable,” Sawyers said.
Sawyers also reminds students that the Smart Mouth pizza can be one of the three required items.
Students will also note that any meals that have been paid for so far in this school year will be reimbursed to the students' accounts.
The cafeteria staff would also like to inform students that the cafeteria has an open door policy.
“If you got the money, come on back in darlin’,” Sawyers said.
Sawyers reported that unlike other schools in the region, DHS allows students to come back through the lunch line.
“This is [the students] cafeteria,” Sawyers said, “we want them to feel welcome in here.”
All students will be able to receive free meals through December 31, 2020, or until funding runs out.
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