JACKSON, Wyo. — On Thursday, April 18, Teton County School District (TCSD) #1 announced that it will work in partnership with a coalition of nonprofits to continue to provide summer meals to local students, due to changes to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Summer Food Service Program.
In years prior, TCSD participated in the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program, but changes in the federal program now require only one, non-centrally located TCSD#1 school to be eligible to host the program. Due to that change in eligibility, TCSD#1 said it was forced to cancel its participation in the federally run program
“Hundreds of children have depended upon the District’s participation in the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program to meet their daily nutritional needs when school is out for the summer,” Fund for Public Education Executive Director Jennifer Jellen said in the announcement.
According to TCSD, in response to the need for student summer meals, Jackson Hole Food Collaborators, a coalition of nonprofits working to provide food security to the community, has come together to ensure that summer meals will still be available for all children in Jackson Hole.
Led by Hole Food Rescue and One22 Resource Center, in partnership with the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, TCSD#1 and the Fund for Public Education, this new effort will provide more than 7,000 breakfasts and lunches through an expansion of Hole Food Rescue’s popular Sprout Summer Lunch program. One22’s Jackson Cupboard’s new youth breakfast project will provide meals from mid-June through August with details forthcoming.
“School meals are a fundamental building block of childhood wellness,” TCSD#1’s Superintendent Dr. Gillian Chapman said. “When funding or access for these programs change, it can be devastating to local families, and stressful for our staff members who care deeply for students. We are grateful that our community partners were willing and able to step up and work with us to build a new incarnation of this invaluable program.”
District leaders continue to look for ways to ensure that the Summer Food Service Program can return in future years and seek ways to improve food security for students across the entire District.
More information on Hole Food Rescue’s Sprout Summer Lunch program can be seen here.
