West Kentucky schools gear up to keep kids fed this summer

MAYFIELD — Mayfield Independent Schools began handing out bulk meal kits to parents on Wednesday as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's summer meal program, which aims to battle food insecurity.

According to Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks and meal programs, 21% of Kentucky children were considered food insecure as of 2023, amounting to more than 200,000 children. Multiple west Kentucky school districts are continuing to offer summer meal programs amid food insecurity concerns.

Mayfield Independent Schools Nutrition Director Leah Feagin said 200 parents registered for the program, and the district passed out approximately 2,000 meals on Wednesday. The district expects to hand out close to 15,000 meals this summer. Meal kits include shelf-stable items, fresh fruit, vegetables and milk.

McCracken County, Paducah, Graves County, Ballard County, Calloway County, Fulton Independent and Marshall County school districts are all offering free meal programs for students and families over the summer.

McCracken County Public Schools will start its summer meal pickup program on June 3. Lone Oak Middle School will host pickups every Tuesday throughout June, with Heath Elementary continuing pickups through July. Cathy Lewis, the food service director for McCracken County, said meal kits will contain a week's worth of breakfasts and lunches. Each bag contains shelf-stable food and a gallon of milk.

Lewis said McCracken County has hosted its summer meal program for the past few years. In 2024, the district served about 10,000 meals during the summer. Alongside the school's meal bag program, the district also provides hot breakfast and lunch onsite for children enrolled in school over the summer.

"Food insecurity in the nation, but really in the state of Kentucky, has gone up dramatically the last couple of years," Lewis said. "This year again, they're seeing kind of record highs in our area with food insecurity with children. We have them come back and even tell us how much they appreciated having some of their favorite school items during the summer while they are at home."

A Paducah Public Schools spokesman said the district plans to serve 1,200 meals a day this summer. The spokesman could not provide further details about this year's program when asked for comment Wednesday, but The Sun reported last year that the district's Tornado Takeout initiative dropped off hot meals for kids across multiple locations throughout the summer of 2024. The initiative began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has continued each summer since then.

In Mayfield, Feagin said the school district's summer meal program serves anyone 18 and under. Along with the bulk meal pickups, Feagin said Mayfield's schools offer hot breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday. Every school in Mayfield serves as a pickup location for its summer meal program, and meals will be handed out from 11 a.m. to noon every Wednesday until August.

Feagin said the program is beneficial for many struggling with the cost of groceries, especially as it prevents families from having to rely on more unhealthy options for food.

"Groceries aren't getting any cheaper, and every family, working families and single parent families, every family, is feeling that crunch on their budget," Feagin said.

The district faces federal funding cuts for its Commodity Food and Local Food for Schools program. While its summer meal program is federally funded, no money has been cut for that program. The annual budget for Mayfield Independent Schools' summer meals is $2 million.

Kayla Bearringer, a parent and recipient of Mayfield Independent Schools' meal program, said it will help her afford groceries for her three children over the summer. It's her first year using the service, and she said the pickup process was easy.

She said the prepared meals allow her to work and not have to think about rushing home to cook for her children. She noted that she's spending more money on groceries than ever before due to inflation, so every little bit counts.

"I'm a nurse, but I mean, food's expensive. Inflation has been crazy," Bearringer said. "Usually during the school year, we spend about $300 a week on groceries, and during the summer last year, we were spending $400 to $500, so this definitely does help a lot to cut down on food costs."

To find a USDA Summer Meal program location near you, visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sitefinder.