Program delivers free lunch to kids
Two blue coolers and a van to get her places — that’s all Lesley Quigg needs to serve free lunch to more than 100 kids each day.
Quigg has spent each weekday this summer driving the white van from the middle school, to the skatepark, to City Beach, doling out free lunches to anyone under the age of 18.
“It’s a healthy option that some of these kids might not get,” said Quigg, who works at Muldown Elementary during the school year.
The kids have their pick of three options: Peanut butter and jelly, turkey and cheese on a tortilla, or humus and pita. The lunch also comes with a cheese stick, veggies and milk.
During the school year, children are able to get one or two healthy meals per day with school breakfasts and lunches. Many are eligible for free or reduced lunch to help families pay for the cost. However, during the summer, kids are often left to fend for themselves when trying to find an adequate nutrition.
The Walmart Foundation gave Whitefish a $20,000 grant, part of a larger national grant of $2.3 million, to support summer meals. A portion of this went to the food truck.
The food truck expanded on last summer’s program, which provided free breakfasts and lunch at the middle school.
“Sometimes, the kids can’t get to the school,” Quigg said. “So instead, we try to go to them.”
The truck is at the middle school from 11 to 11:45 a.m., the skate park from noon to 12:30 p.m., and City Beach from around 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. every weekday. Free breakfast is still served at the middle school from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.
According to the Walmart Foundation, last year, only one in seven children who needed summer meals received them. This leaves children exposed to negative impacts on their health and development during the summer months, when regular school meals are not provided. The number of children participating in programs like the free lunch truck has increased each year, but there is still a great need to access meals during the summer.
Quigg said when she first started in June, many parents and kids were hesitant to approach her and take the free lunch.
“A lot of people try to turn it down,” Quigg said. “If they’re not from here, or can afford to buy their own lunch, people are timid about it. But everyone needs to eat.”
In the beginning, Quigg and Jay Stagg, the food service director for the Whitefish School District, introduced themselves to everyone they met while driving the truck and explained their goals.
“I would walk around to every family on the beach,” Quigg said, “Just to introduce myself and explain what we were doing.”
The remainder of the grant money will carry over into the school year to create health-based programs for students.