Interview with Scott Fay, Senior Child Nutrition Manager
2019 marks the 6th year in a row that Essex Junction has participated in the summer meals program. From 9 AM-2 PM, Monday-Friday, anyone under the age of 18 can come to Maple Street Park and receive a free meal. Each child can come twice a day, for both breakfast and lunch. This is a partnership between Hunger Free Vermont, Essex Junction Recreation & Parks, and the Essex Westford School District.
Best of all, these meals are open to anyone under the age of 18, regardless of what town they live in or what school they attend. In fact, higher participation helps the program succeed. The federal government, through the state of Vermont, pays the Child Nutrition Program for every meal served. Higher attendance helps ensure that the program can stay operational, and the additional income can help the program to purchase higher quality ingredients and hire additional staff. Basically, by getting a free meal for your children, you are helping to ensure that the summer meals program continues to provide a wonderful and very necessary service to the community. If that isn’t a win-win I don’t know what is.
In case you would like to plan ahead, breakfast and lunch menus are available online here: https://www.ewsd.org/summerlunch?fbclid=IwAR2GekskViDiozSwBWh8aeESr3cdbdBf9PREt7WR4gkGKz3khlP0d_57EWQ. Depending on the day, meal options include sandwiches, chicken tenders, flatbreads, and of course pizza day on Monday (my son’s favorite).
Why Essex? “We want to make sure that all children in Essex have the opportunity to have at least two healthy meals a day, all year round.” –Scott Fay
Why Essex? is a weekly(ish) column highlighting the people and places that make Essex an interesting and special place. Have an idea for the column? E-mail Darby Mayville at darby@essexjunction.org.
Photo Credits: EWSD Child Nutrition