Once again, St. Charles Parish is shelling out the dough to make sure children and teens 18 years and under receive a free, piping-hot meal for lunch during the summer.
Last year, the parish spent $78,135 on the program and was reimbursed $18,000 by the Louisiana Department of Education, which served as co-sponsor. That paid for 8,007 meals for area children and teens.
From June 6 through July 16, lunches will be available at St. Rose Elementary, Luling Elementary and E.J. Landry Alternative School from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Foods such as red beans and rice, spaghetti and meatballs, fresh fruit and homemade drop rolls are just some of the things that will be on the menu during that time.
No child or teenager under the age of 18 living in the parish can be turned away from the program, whether their parents make $20,000 a year or $200,000.
Everyone in that age group is eligible because the state doesn’t allow the parish to discriminate based on socio-economic backgrounds. That’s why the parish can’t just offer meals to low income children, according to Barbara Dorsey, the assistant program supervisor of the community services department.
In fact, even those over the age of 18 that have disabilities qualify for the free meals, as long as they are accredited with a state institution.
Registration is not required for the meals, and those eligible just have to get dropped off at one of the schools or bussed to the closest location.
Pick-up spots are located in Des Allemands, Paradis, Ama, Luling, Boutte, Hahnville, Montz, Norco, New Sarpy, St. Rose and Killona. For a complete list, visit the parish’s Web site at www.stcharlesparish-la.gov.
The program was created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure that children in lower-income areas could continue to receive nutritious meals during the summer. The program is the single largest federal resource available for local sponsors who want to combine a feeding program with a summer activity program.
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