LANSFORD, PA — On Thursday, Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin visited the Panther Valley School District to assist in distributing free summer meals to children via the district’s innovative mobile feeding site. This initiative aims to ensure children have access to nutritious meals year-round.
“Hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation. Students need nutritious, filling meals to keep them energized and learning throughout the summer months as well as during the school year,” stated Secretary Mumin. He emphasized the importance of providing healthy meals to keep children active and ready to learn when they return to school.
The Shapiro Administration has prioritized child nutrition, delivering free breakfast to Pennsylvania’s 1.7 million students last year. The 2024-25 budget builds on this progress with a $16.7 million increase to continue the universal free breakfast program and fund the summer food service program to ensure no child goes hungry.
Statewide, over 2,000 summer meal service sites are operational, including the Panther Valley School District, which serves multiple meals twice a week. This district, serving the rural communities of Summit Hill, Lansford, Coaldale, and Nesquehoning, uses a mobile feeding site to distribute meals across four locations.
The USDA Food Service Program, a federally funded initiative, ensures children receive the same high-quality nutrition during school vacations as they do during the school year. Children 18 and under are eligible for these meals, which must meet federal nutrition standards, including servings of grains, proteins, fruits, vegetables, and milk.
In June, Panther Valley School District provided nearly 16,000 free breakfasts and lunches. With 75% of students eligible for free and reduced meals, this program is vital for bridging the nutrition gap during summer.
“The Panther Valley summer meal program ensures that no child goes hungry when school is out,” said Panther Valley Superintendent David McAndrew Jr. “This meal program is crucial in providing essential nutrition for the students in our community.”
The mobile summer feeding site exemplifies the district’s commitment to meeting students where they are, ensuring access to nutritious meals throughout the summer. This initiative is a significant step towards combating food insecurity and promoting child well-being in rural Pennsylvania.
The meal sites can be located through various methods such as the USDA’s Summer Meals for Kid Site Finder, calling 211, 1-866-3-HUNGRY, or 1-877-8HAMBRE, texting “Summer” or “VERANO” to 914-342-7744, or downloading the Range app on your mobile device. For those interested in setting up a summer meal service site, information can be found on PDE’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) page.
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