In its second year, a county program that serves free lunches in the summer to students in low-income neighborhoods has expanded to seven sites throughout the county to ensure the rising numbers of students that qualify for free meals do not go hungry when school is out.
"Hunger doesn't take a summer break," said Councilwoman Valerie Ervin (D-Dist. 5) of Silver Spring, who helped begin the county's summer lunch program last year, when it provided free meals at one school, Georgian Forest Elementary School in Silver Spring.
The seven schools are walk-in sites, where students can go during lunch hours for a free meal, similar to those served during the school year. The meals are meant to develop healthier eating habits among the students, who otherwise might be eating junk food in the summer or whose parents might not be able to afford the most nutritional food.
"I don't question the parents' understanding of nutritional value but I do question their ability to provide meals of nutritional value," Rolling Terrace Principal Jennifer Connors said Monday as about 20 students ate free chicken sandwiches, chocolate milk or orange juice, apples and Doritos.
The schools chosen have at least 50 percent of their students eligible for free and reduced-priced meals (FARMS). In Maryland, a student is eligible for free meals if they come from a family of four in which the household income is less than $28,665. If the family's income is less than $40,793, the student can receive reduced-price meals. About 30 percent of MCPS students countywide are eligible for free meals.
Connors said 60 percent of the students at her school participate in the FARMS program, up 10 percent from last year. Public schools Superintendent Jerry D. Weast said MCPS has seen an increase of 1,000 FARMS students since Jan. 1 and 2,400 in the past year.
"A lot of these parents in the community are immigrant parents," said Vilnia Bonilla-Kenny, the parent-community coordinator at Rolling Terrace who helped get the word out this year about the program at Rolling Terrace. "The economy has hit many of these families the hardest."
While transportation is provided for the program, Bonilla-Kenny said many students at Rolling Terrace can walk to the school from the dense residential neighborhood of single-family homes and apartment buildings surrounding the school.
"I don't know the best part for me yet," said rising Rolling Terrace fourth-grader Gustavo Lara, who walked to the free lunch program for the third time Monday. "But for my mom, she doesn't have to cook."
There are also free lunches served at 120 other sites – including schools, parks and nonprofit organizations – in the county where summer youth programs are held, an increase from 79 locations last summer. County and school officials said those programs keep students from being hungry, thus giving them more energy and a greater capacity for learning.
But at the walk-in sites, where meals aren't tied to any camps or programs, there is also a social benefit, parents say.
The meals give children energy to get out of the house and "to interact with other kids in the school," said Jacquiline Gutierrez of Takoma Park, who has two children at Rolling Terrace and brought two of her friend's children to Monday's free lunch.
"They're actually happy to come to school," said another parent, Xinia Sanchez of Silver Spring.
The program is funded almost entirely through the United States Department of Agriculture's Summer Food Service Program, which reimburses MCPS for all meals served ($3.10 per lunch, $1.80 per breakfast). Last year, 166,389 lunches and 122,522 breakfasts were served through the program and the county was reimbursed roughly $717,000 in federal funds, said Kate Harrison, a spokeswoman for MCPS.
The county and school system split transportation costs, which amounted to $12,000 last year.
Securing the funding for last summer's program came at a time when food costs and unemployment rates were rising and inventory at area food banks was declining.
"One of the most difficult times to distribute and collect food is the middle of the summer," said Councilman Michael J. Knapp (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown. "But one of the most difficult times for families to get food is in the summer."
The summer lunch program runs through Aug. 21 at Rolling Terrace Elementary in Takoma Park, Georgian Forest and Strathmore elementary schools in Silver Spring, John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, Maryvale Elementary in Rockville, and Summit Hall and Whetstone elementary schools in Gaithersburg. The program runs five days a week from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is open to all students ages 18 and younger. For more information, call 301-840-8170.
