John Rush, 17, of Cambridge, pulled up to the Garfield Administrative Building and grabbed hot lunches for his family and other foster families.
“The summer lunch program seems to be benefitting a lot of people and I’m thankful for it,” Rush said. “A lot of people need it, so its definitely a good thing that people are out helping other people in the community.”
Jess Black, a counselor with Southeastern Ohio Counseling Services, also picks up hot lunches a couple times of week.
Black, who brings multiple youths he works with to pick up meals, said the program is good because the youth don’t have to worry about food if parents are at work.
“It’s good for families that don’t have food at home,” Black said. “There tons of families that don’t have food at home and a lot of families depend on the schools to eat. Sometimes they get left hanging, so it’s nice to know that they can get food.”
The Summer Grab-and Go Lunch Program run through Cambridge City Schools and the Nutrition Group is designed to provide any child in the community under the age of 18 with a hot breakfast and lunch during the summer.
The program began on June 7 and will through June 30. It will resume on July 5 and run until July 31.
“This is a service we have been able to provide for several years,” Cambridge Superintendent Dan Coffman said. “There is a need in our community, and we want to continue to meet that need whether it is during the school year or during summer break.”
The meals which are available for pick up by children not attending Summer CATS Camp can be picked up at the primary and the intermediate schoolsl from 10:30 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday and at the Garfield Administrative Center from noon until 12:40 p.m.
According to the district, the meals for the program are prepared by the food services staff and reimbursed by the Federal Government through the USDA program. The USDA Seamless Summer Food Program is the food distribution program the district has run the past few summers.
Bill Cavey, food service director for Cambridge City Schools, said the program’s primary goal is to feed children, providing them with a full healthy nutritious meal through the summer months
“This year it’s more important than ever just based off the lost jobs, the employment rates and everything, to make sure the kids dont go hungry,” Cavey said.
Currently, about 200 meals a day are being prepared for the lunch program. This includes meals for the students in the CATS Summer Camp.
Charlie Wiehrow, 13, thinks the meals are pretty important as they provide energy throughout the day and it saves money as he doesn’t have to pack a lunch. Charlie said the lunches are good and he gets enough to fill him up.
Zanderr Shuler ,12, agreed.
In addition to the students in the Cats Summer Camp, meals are available for the students in the credit recovery program at the high school, as well.
The breakfasts include two grain items, a fruit and a milk. The lunches contains grains, proteins, fruit, vegetables and milk.
Lunch items are different each day. A daily menu fcan be found at https://cambridgecity.nutrislice.com/menu/.
According to Cavey, the program is not limited to students in the Cambridge Schools.
“Any kid that is 18 years and younger is eligible for a free breakfast and lunch,” Cavey said. “It’s available community wide, we definitely will help any child that is hungry and any child in need.”
The Salvation Army’s Summer Sack Lunch program is also underway.
The goal of the project is to provide a grab and go noon lunch every weekday throughout the summer vacation period at locations where the greatest number of at-risk children live to those students who utilize and rely upon the state/federal free and subsidized lunch program during the normal school year.
The project will run for 8 weeks.
Coordination and distribution for the Byesville students will be handled by the Church of Christ Stop Nine.
The Salvation Army also will offer a weekly activity box project, as a fun way to keep children engaged and pull families together to do activities that are fun and also educational. Families interested in participating can register by contacting the Salvation Army at 740-439-7759.
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