FREE MEALS TO BE SERVED TO CHILDREN AT CHAFFEE

CHAFFEE -- Youngsters and teen-agers can eat free this summer in a monthlong program at Chaffee Elementary School.

People 1 to 18 years of age can receive a free breakfast and a free lunch at the school Mondays through Fridays beginning Tuesday and running through June 25.

It is being held in conjunction with the Scott County R-2 School District's summer school, but they don't have to be enrolled in the summer school to receive the free meals, said Julian Chavez, food service director for the district.

The summer food service program is a state program operated with federal money administered by the Missouri Department of Health.

An area qualifies for the program if there is sizable poverty. Eligible areas include those where 50 percent of children are signed up for free and reduced-price lunches during the school year.

Last year the Missouri Department of Health spent about $4.4 million to reimburse 95 schools and other agencies that provided free summer meals. In all, 33,767 children were fed through the program last summer.

"The number of kids served is low," said Dave Carson, associate chief of the Missouri Department of Health's Bureau of Nutrition and Child Care Programs.

Carson said the state recently has pushed to boost participation. This year at least 130 schools, agencies and organizations are expected to provide summer meals.

This marks the first year for the program in the Chaffee School District.

Chavez said the free meals primarily are being offered to children in the Scott County R-2 School District. But he said youngsters from throughout Scott County will be provided meals if they show up at the school.

Breakfast will be offered from 7:20-8 a.m. Lunch will be served from 11:15 a.m. to noon.

School buses will pick up Chaffee area children enrolled in summer school. Those who aren't enrolled in summer school or live outside the school district will have to get to the elementary school on their own, Chavez said.

The free meals have increased enrollment for summer school, he said.

"We historically have had 80 students in summer school. Now we have 260 enrolled this year. So the food is definitely a factor in getting them here," Chavez said.

The program is geared to provide nutritional, hot meals for low-income youngsters who often don't get a good meal at home, he said.

Chaffee has a number of low-income residents. Some live in public housing. "We are hoping those kids come and eat. Those are the ones that don't get fed well during the summer," he said.

"We hope to serve 175 to 250 kids for breakfast and lunch every day, Chavez said.

If the program is successful this June, the Chaffee district might expand it next year to provide free meals throughout the summer.

"We can run this thing all summer if we had the volunteers to help," he said.

The Chaffee district expects to be reimbursed about $10,000 this summer to cover the cost of food and pay the school cooks and administrative costs.

The federally funded food service program has existed since 1974. The U.S. Department of Agriculture administered the program in Missouri until 1993 when the state took over the job.

Carson said local sponsors have to deal with a lot of regulatory paperwork required by the federal government. But he said USDA has loosened the requirements within the past two years.