Program aims to ensure no child left hungry

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From left, volunteers Jackeline Mota, Bailey Lister and Kathy Gallagher talk on the Naugatuck Green June 21 before heading out to spread information about the free summer meals program in Naugatuck. –LUKE MARSHALL

NAUGATUCK — When Naugatuck Public Schools started participating in the summer meals program seven years ago, 367 lunches were served over 10 days at one location.

By 2013, the program grew to the point where about 8,400 meals were served over the summer. Last year, the program expanded to nine locations and served 15,540 lunches and 2,390 breakfasts, according to Kate Murphy, food services director for Sodexo, the company that oversees the lunch program in borough schools.

The federally-funded free summer meals program is open to all children 18 years old and younger, but it’s intended to fill the summer gap for students who are eligible for the free and reduced lunches during the school year.

Murphy said these children rely on the schools for their lunches and might not have access to healthy food during the summertime.

“If it wasn’t for this, kids wouldn’t have access to nutritious, well-balanced lunches at all during the summer time because school is closed,” Murphy said.

Murphy said about 50 percent of Naugatuck students were eligible for free and reduced lunch in the 2016-17 school year.

Eligibility is based on income guidelines and the number of people in a family. A family of four with a gross annual income of $44,995 was eligible for the program in 2016-17, according to guidelines on the state Department of Education’s website.

In partnership with End Hunger Connecticut!, Naugatuck kicked off the summer meals program last week. The program runs on weekdays through Aug. 18, with the exception of July 4. Meals are served from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Naugatuck High School and Central Avenue Middle School, and from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Andrew Avenue Elementary School, Hop Brook Elementary School, Salem Elementary School, Linden Park, Baummers Pond, Legion Field, and the Naugatuck YMCA.

End Hunger Connecticut! Chief Strategy Officer Shannon Yearwood said the state served 1.9 million lunches last summer, making it the seventh highest in the nation. One of the keys, he said, is getting the word out.

“A lot of the people looking for these programs might not even know they exist,” Yearwood said.

On June 21, volunteers dressed in orange shirts that read “Ask me about free summer meals!” walked around downtown handing out information about the program and answering questions.

Yearwood said studies have shown that these “blitzes” help get information out and raise attendance at the lunch sites.

Yearwood said one of the important things for people to know is that children can simply show up to a site for lunch. They don’t need to register or show identification, he said.

“The only catch is, since it is supposed to be school meals continued through the summer, the kids have to eat it on site,” Yearwood said.