~ Press release provided by No Kid Hungry Virginia
RICHMOND, June 9 — Page County Public Schools (PCPS) will expand its mobile meals route this summer with the addition of three evening sites and extended stop times, ensuring students receive the nutrition they need while school is out. The effort is supported by a $14,900 grant from No Kid Hungry Virginia.
The expansion builds on a recent federal policy change called “rural non-congregate”, which allows greater flexibility for summer meal distribution in rural areas. The updated guidelines make it easier for school divisions like PCPS to offer multi-day meal deliveries and better reach children in remote communities.
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 due to 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 PCPS helps fund the purchase of kitchen and serving equipment, along with outreach materials. This summer, the district plans to expand their mobile meals route with three new evening sites and extend times at each stop from 15 to 30 minutes.
“Mobile meals are innovative and help thousands of children throughout the state during the hungriest time of the year,” said Amy Biestek, senior program manager for No Kid Hungry Virginia. “With this new outreach model, PCPS is reaching more children where they are, and we’re honored to be part of that effort.”
No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.
To learn more, visit state.nokidhungry.org/virginia.
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