Page 56 - August 2024 Issue.pdf
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year. We’re doing very little of that this rural meal service.
year, and we’re doing a lot more meals
“We decided to take
just because the need is so great.”
the opportunity of
Brewster has a staff of 60 employees having folks here in
during the school year, and employs 30 the county to invite
during the summer, along with high some people from
school students who volunteer and earn USDA, MSDE, No
service-learning hours. Kid Hungry, some
other organizations
“So, it’s just a really good community,” to kind of come in
she said.
and tag along for day
The 2023-2024 school year was the fi rst to see what we do in
year the school district’s 12 schools Caroline County,”
qualified for the Community Eligibility Figueroa said.
Provision, Brewster said.
Calling it a “model
According to the USDA, the CEP is “a of community
non-pricing meal service option for collaboration,” Julie
schools and school districts in low- Fletcher, executive Beth Brewster, supervisor of Caroline County Public Schools Food
income areas. CEP allows the nation’s director of MSDE’s Services, poses with the popular infused water dispenser July 9 at
highest poverty schools and districts to Offi ce of School Federalsburg Elementary School.
serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to and Community
all enrolled students without collecting
Nutrition Programs, said the “school or children “can come to our vehicle,
household applications.”
district has done a great, great job meet up with (the refrigerated van) and
“We’ve always had universal breakfast getting grants and community support” receive a meal bag that has three or four
for the last eight years, but we have to make the meal programs possible. day’s worth of breakfast and lunch meals
universal lunch now, too,” Brewster said. in it,” Figueroa said.
The tour included mobile sites where the
Figueroa said the tour started with school district provides non-congregate Brewster said the focus is not just on
ADA’s request to see the non-congregate meal services where parents, guardians feeding children, but on helping them
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