SPARTA, Mich. — With tight budgets and rising food prices, having access to nutritious breakfast and lunch can be difficult for some children. To help, the Meet Up and Eat Up program is providing free meals for area kids all summer.
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The program served breakfast at Appleview Elementary School on Thursday morning, making sure neighborhood kids have access to nutritious meals.
"We just want to be able to bridge the gap between the summer months and the school days," said Melissa Alley, Sparta Schools Director of Dining Services.
The Meet Up and Eat Up program is open Monday through Friday for youth ages 18 and younger and is funded by the USDA.
"It is so important to be able to provide these meals for kids, because I have, you know, family. " They are really struggling out there, and I think this helps take the burden off them a little bit in making sure that our kids are fed healthy meals," Alley said.
With grocery bills rising, the meal program allows parents not to stress about lunch and breakfast costs.
"I know costs right now of living can be a little bit tight, and this is just one thing that families can be grateful for, and one last thing that they have to worry about financially as well," said Amanda Smith, Sparta Schools Child Care Program Director.
Alley says many kids are excited for the meals and look forward to the menu options.
"They look at the menus to see what's going to be on. We actually try to provide even hot meals at least once a week or twice a month for lunch," she said.
For Alley, being part of ensuring neighborhood kids are well-fed during summer is rewarding.
"It's so rewarding when kids come in, they give you hugs, you get to see them every morning. This is their best time of the day, is when they have breakfast and lunch," she said.
Breakfast is served at Appleview Elementary School from 8:30-9:00, with lunch served between 11:30 and 12:00, Monday through Friday. At the Sparta Early Childhood Center, breakfast is served from 9:00-9:30, and lunch is from 12:00-12:30, Monday through Thursday.
If you would like more information on Sparta's Meet Up and Eat Up, email Melissa Alley at melissa.alley@spartaschoosl.org or call 616-887-1744.
If you would like to see the schools in Michigan participating in the USDA summer meals program, CLICK HERE.
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