During the pandemic, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools offered take-away meals for students in a drive-through style to address food insecurity and promote social distancing. This year, local leaders worried legislation would require that students eat in-person during the summer, which would make food less accessible for students compared to prior summers.
Federal law previously mandated school meals could only be served in congregate settings. Additionally, only areas where at least half of students qualified for free or reduced-priced meals could operate a summer meal program.
In June, however, President Biden signed the Keep Kids Federal Act, a bipartisan and bicameral bill which extended waivers supporting access to summer meals for students. Now, students at Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and children across the country have access to free take-away summer meals.
Andy Jenks, the Chief Communications Officer at Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, said the lift of federal regulations makes it easier for local students to access free meals.
“In theory, a family member can go by one of the sites and say, ‘I need meals for four students’ and walk away with four take-home meals,” Jenks told 97.9 The Hill. “That’s something that’s really important to us as a school district is to make sure that anyone who is hungry or anyone who is in need of a meal can get a meal. We’re proud to be a part of that program as we have been for the past several summers.”
Currently, there are 11 sites in Chapel Hill that offer free daily lunch from Monday to Thursday. Thursday meals also include to-go bags for Friday lunches.
“I will note that all of the sites are listed on our webpage,” Jenks said. “We also communicate them via email, but if anyone remembers just one location, it’s our school site — Northside Elementary School has meals from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday until mid-August.”
Loree Perry, the Assistant Director of Child Nutrition for Chartwells, said children are also exposed to learning and enrichment opportunities at the meal distribution sites.
“We started off with primarily supporting our town of Chapel Hill camps, community school camps, as well as our academic summer programs,” Perry said. “But what we realized along the way is there’s a greater need for these folks, for children who aren’t involved in any of those things, that are at home during the summer and don’t necessarily have access to food every day.”
Perry added the summer food program partnered with the mayor’s office, the district, PORCH and TABLE to distribute meals to community sites on a wide level. Food For Students also partnered with the Public School Foundation and the Town of Chapel Hill to create enrichment activities.
“They’re not just coming for lunch. Sometimes there’s buckets that have jump ropes and frisbees and then there’s plans to have the police and fire department visit each of our 12 community sites this summer,” Perry said. “We have a book drive every Wednesday so kids can come and get books and switch books out. We try to incorporate the same thing — making sure kids have access to food as well as enrichment opportunities.”
For information on each site’s lunchtime hours and locations, visit Food for Students’ website.
Photo via Food for Students/Tom Simon.
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