School's Out, But Summer Lunch Program 'Feeds Need'

Novi’s new Feed the Need Summer Lunch Program will offer some of the same options students received during the school session. (Photo via USDA)

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Several community groups are working with Novi Schools develop the Feed the Need Summer Lunch Program for the approximately 9 percent of students in the Novi school district qualify for free and reduced price lunches, but now that school is out, they may go hungry.

The project focuses on some 250 families whose children may not have access to a hot lunch now that school has dismissed for the summer, Hometownlife.com reports.

Darby Hoppenstedt,an intervention specialist for Novi schools, suggested the program at a Novi Rotary Club planning session, and now the Novi Interfaith Network, Novi Public Library, local businesses and school district staff have gotten behind the project.

• Read the full story on Hometownlife.com.

“There are linkages to healthy eating, nutrition, performance and development,” Rotarian Bryan Berent said. “We said, ‘Let’s form a program to feed these kids during the summer.’ We know we can’t do everything when we start up, so let’s start small, prove it and then build from there.”

Beginning today, June 17, and continuing every Wednesday until school starts, hot lunches will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Village Oaks Elementary, where activities will also be scheduled. Bag lunches will be available at Orchard Hills Elementary.

The program is open to anyone to anyone, regardless of need. There’s no need to pre-register. Just show up, Berent said.

“We don’t know if we’re going to get 30 or 100 kids the first day,” he said. “But we have lots of support within the community. I’m certain the program will be a resounding success.”