More Harrisonburg City Public Schools (HCPS) students will be able to access the nutrition they need during summer break thanks to a $28,915 grant from No Kid Hungry Virginia.
The funds will help the school system expand its summer meals mobile route by adding a new rural stop where meals will be distributed under a new federal policy known as “rural non-congregate.” The policy change allows for flexible multi-day meal distribution and delivery in rural areas, helping communities like Harrisonburg reach more children during the summer.
“We know the ability to provide meals to-go greatly increases access to summer meals. We’re honored to support HCPS on this new innovation outreach model. Summer break should be a time of joy and play, not hunger,” said Amy Biestek, senior program manager for No Kid Hungry Virginia.
Approximately 747,000 Virginia students fuel up on free or reduced-priced meals when school is in session. Despite the critical role that school meals play in addressing hunger, the summer months present a significant gap in food access. According to historical data, only 13 percent of kids who rely on school breakfast and lunch are able to access summer meals because of barriers like transportation challenges, caregiver work schedules and distance to distribution sites.
Non-congregate models provide an important solution for Virginia’s rural school districts. The No Kid Hungry Virginia grant to Harrisonburg Schools helps cover startup costs including food service, staffing and retrofitting the mobile meals bus. The district plans to provide weekend meals to students enrolled in summer school and add a new rural stop on their mobile meals route in partnership with a local church.
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Rebecca Barnabi
