TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A lot of families depend on school food programs to help keep children fed during the school year. But what do you do this time of year when a lot of districts are out of session?
“There's studies that show that kids cannot learn on an empty stomach. They don't concentrate, they just can't retain information. So, definitely food plays a big system in learning.”
Food Bank development director Sio Castillo says there’s no summer break for the Community Food Bank’s fight to keep people well fed and healthy.
With students not going to school, the Food Bank has teamed up with libraries to have food packs ready to go, filled with healthy, non-perishable food designed to appeal to kids. It’s there for anyone 18 and younger. There’s no qualification required.
Even with TUSD schools dialed back to special summer sessions, TUSD’s warehouse is still supplying the district’s programs to serve up the same sort of menus they’d offer any time of the year.
Joseph Pfannelstihl of TUSD’s Food Service says, “It'll be like hamburgers, chicken patties, it is school type lunches, but it'll also have fruits and vegetables. It's nutritious, it's whole grain food. We still run by ADE (Arizona Department of Education} standards and federal government nutrition standards. We don't change our menu because it's just summertime. We run our same nutritional food as we do year-round.”
Pfannelstihl says the food’s served at about fifty sites, mostly school campuses but also some city of Tucson Parks and Rec locations, and the Boys and Girls Clubs. No one’s required to qualify by proving they’re from low income families. They just have to be 18 or younger, and hungry.
WHERE TO CONNECT WITH SUMMER FOOD PROGRAMS:
(Click the highlighted links)
COMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA
TUSD SUMMER MEAL LOCATIONS AND MENU
Check with other school districts for their summer food offerings.
