Holley children are receiving free breakfast and lunch at the Holley MS/HS Dining Hall once again this summer due to a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The District provides meals Monday through Friday to children under the age of 18 living within the Holley Central School District, regardless of income level. “We are proud and pleased to offer this program in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture,” said Holley Superintendent Robert D’Angelo. “We urge everyone in the district to participate.” Pre-registration is not required.
While district children can enjoy these meals for free, adults, including Holley staff members, must purchase breakfast and lunch from the District during this program. Breakfast costs $2.25 and lunch costs $4.
Students who participate in morning and/or afternoon exercise classes such as the FIT4U! fitness and nutrition program, and the BLAST summer conditioning sessions can grab meals before and/or after their classes. Breakfast is served from 8 to 11 a.m. and lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students who participate in the summer recreation program are also welcome to stop in to grab something to eat.
Breakfast includes bagels, cereal, muffins, Frudels, fresh fruit, juice and milk. Lunch includes subs, wraps, sandwiches, pizzas, salads, vegetables, fruit, water, milk and juice. The meal program ends on August 19. Transportation is not provided by the District.
Students browse through books at the Summer Literacy Center with the help of Teacher Aide Jean Smith. Provided photo
An addition to the meal program this year is the creation of a Literacy Center in a corner of the Dining Hall. Students can browse through books, puzzles and math worksheets to take home with them. Faculty and staff from the Elementary and MS/HS contributed these items to help students keep up their reading and math skills during the summer. The district also offers a list of clubs and activities to students that parents are invited to take home.
“I think this is a great program for families to take advantage of,” said Jean Smith, teacher’s aide for the District, who is helping maintain the center this summer. “I wish there had been programs like this when my kids were little.”
Students cited Frudels, cereal and bagels as their top choices for breakfast. Pizza, wraps, subs, fruit and vegetables were their favorites for lunch.
“This is a great program,” said Kim O’Brien, who brought her daughter and husband to the Dining Hall for lunch. “You can’t get a well-rounded meal like this for $4 anywhere else, and I don’t feel like I’m clogging my arteries.” O’Brien brings her daughter, Lilly, for breakfast most days. Lilly, a first grader, enjoys cereal and half a bagel for breakfast. O’Brein says this meal fills her daughter up and gives Lilly a good start to her day.
Mary Jo Smith watches her grandchildren during the summer and brings them in for lunch. “This is a convenient program and works well,” she said. “It’s great. The summer programming that the district provides helps support the meal program, whether a student is attending a fitness program or summer school. More schools should be doing this.”
Food Service Director Vickie Scroger said she has noticed an increase in attendance this year, with more families coming in to eat together. Scroger said the busiest days are Tuesdays through Thursdays when the fitness classes are offered. During the first week of the program, students consumed 119 breakfasts and 256 lunches, while the adults ate 14 breakfasts and 21 lunches.
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