LA PLATA, Md. — Charles County Public Schools served 55,619 meals to local children this summer through its Lunch on Us and Meals on the Move programs, according to an update presented during the Board of Education’s Aug. 11 meeting.
Superintendent Maria Navarro recognized the school system’s Food and Nutrition Services staff for keeping the programs running throughout summer break and helping families continue to access free meals while school was out.
“They were everywhere,” Navarro said of staff working across the county.
Lunch on Us operated Monday through Thursday from June 22 through Aug. 6 at Eva Turner Elementary School, Westlake High School, Thomas Stone High School and Henry E. Lackey High School. Children ages 2 to 18 could receive a free hot meal to eat on site.
The locations were selected based on past participation, community need and geographic location, according to CCPS. Children did not have to be CCPS students to participate, but they were required to be present to receive a meal.
The district also brought meals directly into the community through Meals on the Move, a mobile program operated by CCPS Food and Nutrition Services staff.
The food truck made weekly stops at the Mattawoman Beantown Park & Ride in Waldorf, Free Gospel Church of Bryans Road and Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School, extending the program’s reach beyond traditional school meal sites and helping serve families in more rural parts of Charles County.
The summer meal effort also drew a visit from Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who stopped by a Meals on the Move site in Charles County in July to see how CCPS Food and Nutrition Services staff were helping connect children with meals while school was out.
During the visit, Moore also spoke about SUN Bucks, a Maryland Department of Human Services program that provides grocery assistance to eligible families with school-age children during the summer. Qualifying families receive $40 per eligible child for each of the summer months of June, July and August, according to CCPS.
CCPS said most eligible students are automatically enrolled in the SUN Bucks program, providing another resource for families when regular school meal programs are not available.
Through the mobile program, families could pick up free cold breakfasts and lunches for multiple days for children ages 2 to 18, helping bridge the gap during the weeks when students were away from school.
Watch the full Aug. 11 Charles County Board of Education meeting on YouTube.
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