LPOSD serves up historic number of free meals
LPOSD Child Nutrition professionals, from left, Kelly Karr and Angela Hentges were part of a team that served 19,000 meals to Bonner County kids last summer. The summer meals program is federally funded so there is no cost to the school district or families.
Photo courtesy LAKE PEND OREILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT
SANDPOINT — The LPOSD Child Nutrition Program served a historic number of free meals to Bonner County children last summer.
There are more families in our community who have difficulty accessing enough food due to lack of financial resources, explained Bobbie Coleman, Child Nutrition Program director.
The certified nutrition team of Dawna May, Angela Hentges, Mary Sarabia and Kelly Karr served 19,000 “nutrient dense” meals over a 58-day period. The year before, the team served just under 4,000 summer meals.
That growth is the result of two factors — “need” and “logistics.”
“The need is greater in these economic times,” Coleman said. “And in the summer of 2023, all the students had to stay and eat at the location.”
This year, however, children and parents were able to pick up meals Monday through Friday and take them home.
The program is federally funded so local families were not charged, nor did LPOSD incur any costs. It was established to ensure children ages 1-18 continue to receive meals when school is not in session.
LPOSD served from four locations designated as economically disadvantaged eligible areas: Farmin Stidwell Elementary, Kootenai Elementary, Sandpoint High School and Sandpoint City Beach.
Lunch was provided at SHS and City Beach; both lunch and breakfast at Farmin Stidwell and Kootenai. Additionally, on Fridays the elementary schools served a meal bag that included both breakfast and lunch to get families through the weekend.
“We have so many grateful parents, because it cuts down on the cost of food bills during the summer,” Coleman said.