How to Grab Free Meals and Go By Carey Head / Staff Writer
The United States Department of Agriculture and Oklahoma State Department of Education are combining forces to provide free meals to all children through June 2022. This “Seamless Summer” nutrition program eliminates red tape requirements such as proofs of income, identity and status as a student. The result is a food fest for any child age 18 and under who, basically, has a pulse. These meals are offered to all children without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.
Children are offered free meals even if they are not students in Ponca City. In fact, children need not live in Ponca City nor be U.S. citizens to receive a free meal. To make this even simpler, families do not need to make a meal reservation such as calling Child Nutrition to request a meal. Even proof of identity isn’t needed. All the meal-taker needs to provide is the name of the child who will be eating the meal. According to Superintendent Shelley Arrott, “Anyone may collect a meal for a child. We only need the name of the child; no identification is necessary.” PONCA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Ponca City Public Schools Child Nutrition Program is steering the local project for PCPS. Their free lunches
will be offered Monday through Friday from June 1 – 25. Pick-up times are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Lunch containers will be available for pickup at four sites: Union Elementary, Garfield Elementary and West Middle School as well as White Eagle Park. Separate containers with breakfast for the next day will be available, as well. Superintendent Arrott explains, “We have stationed the pick-up locations at various sites around town to ease the burden for transportation. Meals may be collected through drivethrough or walk-up service. Anyone can pick up a meal for a child, so we encourage parents to carpool or take turns collecting meals. If patrons know someone without transportation, we encourage them to volunteer to collect the meals.” She added, “Our transportation department will take meals to White Eagle each day via bus and meals will be available for collection at the park. Child Nutrition personnel will be available to disseminate meals at White Eagle Park.”
Italian, Hispanic and American cuisines are featured in turn at the “My Way Café” inside Po-Hi’s network of dining spots. Here, Munda Taylor prepares the build-your-own burrito and taco salad offerings for hungry students and staff to enjoy.
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for Child Nutrition including supplies, equipment, utilities, and wages. Jeff says the staff was paid during the 2018 teachers’ strike and demonstrations at the State Capitol. During those 10 days, with PCPS being among the 200 districts forced to close was, according to Jeff, a big blow to Child Nutrition’s budget. “It really hit hard when we had the advocating at the State Capitol. That was our first exposure to downright losing money. We continued to pay our staff.”
Staff also has been paid all through the pandemic, regardless of whether Ponca City’s public schools were in session, virtually, actually or closed. Payment came out of Child Nutrition’s operating account. “All staff have contracts, just like teachers do, and we honor those contracts. It’s a priority to me that the staff gets paid. But it’s a burden on the program when your income goes to 25 percent.” He explains prior to 2020, 5,500-6,000 students were served breakfast and lunch, “so
No meals will be offered during the month of July and through the first weeks of August until the first day of school, Aug. 18. Instead, PCPS Child Nutrition will turn its attention to renovation, repair and staff training. FIRST LUTHERAN SCHOOL The First Lutheran School Cafeteria is the site where any one can enjoy a hot lunch. Those 18 and under will eat free. Adults will be charged $4. Senior Citizens and those with military ID will pay just $3.50. Lunch service is planned through June and July until August 12.
For super-fast service, Shelley Hadley, left, and Judy Amberger are ready to help.
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