Jamestown Public Schools served almost 50,000 meals to local children between July 6th and August 14th through its summer meal program. Under the leadership of Food Service Director Scott Johnson, the JPS Food Service Department provided more than 24,000 breakfasts and 25,000 lunches to children across the district. More than 36,000 of those meals were delivered directly to families through the district's new summer home delivery program. The addition of home delivery was made possible by a $15,000 grant from the No King Hungry Foundation, for which Johnson successfully applied.
On-site meal service was also offered at Fletcher, Love and Ring elementary schools and Washington and Jefferson middle schools, coinciding with the district's elementary LEAP and JUMP enrichment programs and JPS special education students. Weekend breakfasts and lunches helped ensure children continued to have access to nutritious food even when regular summer programming was not in session.
The district also incorporated fresh, locally grown produce into the program, distributing 22 bushels of zucchini, 39 bushels of cucumbers, 14 bushels of corn on the cob and 23 bushels of summer squash to families.
To make the experience both nutritious and engaging, the Food Service Department developed a family recipe activity encouraging children to prepare zucchini alongside a parent or guardian. The activity gave families an opportunity to try a new recipe, learn about fresh produce, and spend time cooking together.
Photo by Jamestown Public Schools
