Dear Editor:

Are you a busy parent rushed to get kids out the door in the morning? Is making your child’s breakfast and/or lunch sometimes the one task that doesn’t get done? The School Meals Program is available to help make sure your child always has the nutritious food they need to learn.

School breakfast and lunch are good options for any kid. Research has shown that kids who eat meals at school consume more nutrients and vitamins than those who don’t. School meal menus are designed to meet federal nutrition guidelines. When a child eats both school breakfast and lunch, they consume more than half of the recommended daily allowances for protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories. So, take a break and take advantage of the service your school provides by encouraging your child to take part in the school breakfast and lunch programs.

Parents, please make sure you return a school meals application to the school as soon as possible. The application will determine your child’s eligibility for free or reduced priced meals, and the more applications we receive, the better we are able to serve the needs of the whole community - such as increased access to state funds for area schools, free summer and after-school meals, and grant opportunities for local non-profits.

Be sure to check out Nutrislice, which is the online app for AOS 98 school meals. Your child can see daily what they will be eating for breakfast and lunch. If you have any questions about the school meals program or would like help filling out the application form, you can reach out to any of the members of our collaborative team working to raise awareness in the Boothbay region. 

Together we can make sure that every child in our community gets the food he or she needs to learn and be healthy every day!

Anni Pat McKenney, LincolnHealth

Darlene French, AOS 98

Lisa Van Dyk, Boothbay Region YMCA