Menasha Joint School District and Chartwells Fuel Healthy Eating for Students All Summer Long

MENASHA, Wis., May 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In recent years, schools across the country have taken big steps to improve nutritious meal offerings for students throughout the school year. Research suggests, however, that summer vacation often leads to unhealthy eating.¹ Additionally, according to Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap study, approximately 49 million Americans are food insecure -- lacking the availability and access to food. To help provide students with wholesome foods during summer months when they don't have access to well balanced school meals, the Menasha Joint School District and Chartwells School Dining Services will be participating in The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and will provide free and healthy meals for Menasha area children all summer long.

"We know that many families struggle with their food budget during the summer when kids aren't eating at school and many also find it challenging to meet the nutritional needs of their children each and every day," said Susan Malesa, Director of Dining Services Chartwells School Dining Services. "Our goal through the Summer Food Service Program is to ensure all children have the opportunity to eat healthy food during summer months and return to school nourished and ready to learn."

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which is organized through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), ensures that children receive nutritious meals while school is not in session. The program offers healthful meals, including breakfast and lunch, to children and teens ages 18 years old and younger.

The following locations in the Menasha community will serve free meals this summer.

• Clovis Grove Elementary
  974 Ninth Street
  Menasha, WI 54952
  June 16 – July 17, 2014
  • Breakfast: 7:45 – 8 a.m.
  • Lunch: 12:15 – 1 p.m.

• Maplewood Middle School
  1600 Midway Road 
  Menasha, WI 54952
  June 16 – July 24, 2014
  • Breakfast: 7:15 – 8:15 a.m.
  • Lunch: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

• Jefferson Elementary - Park Pavilion
  105 Ice Street
  Menasha, WI 54952
  June 16 – August 18, 2014
  • Lunch: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Adults can eat for just $3.00 and all children and teens under the age of 18 will eat for free and are encouraged and welcome to participate.

For more information about Chartwells School Dining Services, visit http://www.eatlearnlive.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. For more information on the Summer Food Service Program and to find a location in your community, visit http://www.whyhunger.org/findfood or call 1.866.3HUNGRY.

About Chartwells School Dining Services
Chartwells, a division of Charlotte, NC-based Compass Group, provides dining services for over 575 public school districts and private schools, comprising of approximately 4,000 separate elementary, middle and high schools nationwide.  For more information about Chartwells School Dining Services, visit www.eatlearnlive.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. 

¹ The Journal of School Health (2013)

SOURCE Chartwells School Dining Services