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Norma Tyler, left, with the Putnam County food service summer program, hands out a lunch to Isabella, 10, in Palatka. (TRISHA MURPHY/Palatka Daily News) -
Children run toward the school bus on Washington Street in Palatka to get lunches the Putnam County Food Service is handing out to area children across Putnam County Monday through Thursday. (TRISHA MURPHY/Palatka Daily News) -
Nikki Hawthorne, Putnam County School Food Service director, stands in front of the sign promoting the food service’s summer nutrition program. (TRISHA MURPHY/Palatka Daily News)
Food insecurity will be less of an issue for Putnam County youth on Nikki Hawthorne’s watch.
As the school food service director for the past 10 years, Hawthorne is dedicated to making sure students receive nutritious meals during their break from school through the Summer Food Service Program funded by the USDA and the Florida Department of Agriculture.
“We know that some of our students would not get a meal if it wasn’t for this program,” Hawthorne said.
Free breakfasts and lunches were served at some area schools on Monday for children ages 1-18. Eight hundred breakfasts were served on the opening day and 1,500 lunches. The program dates and times vary at some schools with most continuing until July 25.
Elementary schools participating in the onsite meals include Kelley Smith, Moseley and James A. Long in Palatka, Browning-Pearce in San Mateo, Middleton-Burney in Crescent City, Melrose Elementary and Jenkins in Interlachen.
Participating high schools include Palatka Junior-Senior High and Crescent City Junior-Senior High.
Breakfasts will be served 8-9 a.m. and lunches from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Buses will deliver lunches on the same days in routes covering Palatka and the West and South end of the county. For details, call 386-329-0524 or email c3jones@my.putnamschools.org.
For a link to bus routes and serving times at schools, click on https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qURLFpXQy4OzQZJ1O-4Ia6iki-ZPKN8HTcihsNQjsrY/edit#gid=0.
According to Amber Selland, school food service supervisor and registered dietitian, school sites will provide hot breakfasts and lunches consisting of a protein, grain, fruit and/or vegetable and milk, while the bus routes will provide children with a cold lunch meal fulfilling similar dietary needs. The program in the county has been going on for 30-plus years and is available to all children.
“Many of our students go without meals during the summer months when school is not in session,” she said. “This program allows our students to get a nutritious meals even when they are not in school.”
Hawthorne said the buses will do the same routes during the days of operation each week, but some adjustments may be made based on participation.
“We hire our own staff for the summer months to pack and serve the meals,” she said. “Last year, we served 52,000 breakfast meals, while 55,848 lunch meals were served.”
Hawthorne said her staff loves serving the community in this way.
“We know food insecurity is a real issue in Putnam County and this fills a void to serve our students,” she said.