by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer
“That’s the best lunch meal I’ve had in a long time,” said the 7-year-old boy.
He was talking about the June 15 lunch of chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato, potatoes in olive oil and pesto, seasoned carrots, chocolate milk, and mixed fruit provided by the South Cumberland Summer Meal Program.
“I didn’t eat the kiwi; I don’t like kiwi,” he added.
With or without kiwi, this is the type of nourishing meal kids in Grundy and Franklin counties are getting for free this summer, thanks to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant and a partnership between the South Cumberland Community Fund and the University of the South.
Kelly Farina, an Americorps VISTA and program coordinator of the meal program, said organizers served more than 2,000 lunches the first week of June.
“Each of our sites has done a great job reaching out to kids and teens in their communities,” Farina said. “We are very excited about all the great work they are doing and the dedication they have to helping make this program a success.”
St. James Episcopal Church, Otey Parish, Grundy Housing Authority and May Justus Memorial Library in Monteagle are among more than a dozen sites in the two counties where kids 18 and under can get a free lunch regardless of family income level.
St. James has been the busiest site, Farina noted, with volunteers there serving 40 to 50 kids each day.
University executive chef Rick Wright and staff members of McClurg Dining Hall are preparing about 500 nutritious meals each day, Wright said.
“It would be easier and less expensive to meet the USDA requirements by using processed and packaged foods, as many sponsors do; that is not acceptable for me,” he said. “We do almost everything from scratch and exceed the dietary requirements set by the USDA.”
A lunch last week included chicken fajitas with grilled natural chicken, local peppers and onions, a whole wheat tortilla and real cheese, with refried pinto beans, Spanish brown rice, and a fresh pineapple and shredded coconut cup.
When school closes for the summer, many children have less to eat. One out of every three children are food-insecure on the Cumberland Plateau, Wright said, adding that most children do not get the minimum requirement of fruits and vegetables.
“Proper nutrition is critical to a child’s development. Not having enough of the right kinds of food can have serious implications for a child’s physical and mental health, academic achievement and future economic prosperity,” he said. “…No child should be hungry, not even sometimes, and every child should be getting fruits and vegetables.”
Wright credits Farina with much of the work in establishing the meal program.
“Overall the kids we are serving have really been enjoying the meals,” Farina said. “Everything has been very filling and nutritious, and all the people at McClurg have been doing a great job and are really working to make this program the best it can be.”
The summer meal program will be back next year, Farina added.
Lunch days vary at the meal sites, and the sites also have activities for kids, like reading programs and guest speakers. Otey Parish serves meals from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays; St. James serves from noon to 1 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays; Grundy Housing Authority serves breakfast from 9 to 10 a.m. and lunch from 1 to 2 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; May Justus Memorial Library has a reading program from 10 to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with lunch following.
A full schedule is available at “South Cumberland Summer Meal Program” on Facebook, or contact Farina at <sfpvista@gmail.com> or 598-1851 for more information.
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