Food program gears up for the summer

Number of meals served expected to climb this season

By Christina Lent

The Beaverton Valley Times, Apr 16, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (1 Reader comment)

Jaime Valdez / The Beaverton Valley Times

BIG PLANS — Beaverton School District’s Lisa Vincent is taking action to ensure all families in need have access to healthy meals this summer.

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Things are hopping around the Beaverton School District’s nutrition services office as Lisa Vincent and her team plan for the Summer Food Program.

Vincent serves as the operations supervisor, who oversees the federally funded program and works to ensure that all children, regardless of family income, have regular, nutritious meals in the summer when schools are not in session.

Last summer, the program served a total of 28,211 breakfasts and 75,675 lunches to Beaverton-area children at 28 meal sites across town. The program also served 3,308 meals to parents who enjoyed meals with their children.

The program served a total of 103,886 meals in 2008 compared to 75,000 total meals in 2007.

Vincent expects those numbers to continue to climb when the program gears up for its June 16 launch.

“It’s hard to say how many families to expect this summer,” Vincent said. “A lot of people are hurting right now – they are our co-workers and our neighbors.

“When families are struggling to make ends meet, a little help from us – the community – goes a long way in making a difference in a young child’s summer experience.”

Since January, Vincent has met with folks from the Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District, Beaverton City Library, Oregon State University Extension Office, Washington County Commission on Children and Families, apartment complexes and area churches to coordinate meal sites and line up fun, free activities to offer families following their meals.

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