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Lunch program develops a recipe for success
Start with hungry kids; add free food and a dash of ingenuity, and voilá! A model for other cities

By Bobby Vasquez

In its 24th year, the city’s Summer Food Service Program has grown to become the largest such service in the state. Last year, Parks & Recreation served more than 1.25 million meals to Houston’s underprivileged youth.

When the school year ends, almost 450,000 Houston children lose their healthy midday meals and snacks.

Although the Parks & Recreation Department provides a nutritious alternative to going hungry or finding trouble on the streets, only 25 percent of those children use the program.

That’s a problem city officials can’t stomach.

Their remedy? Increased communication in English and Spanish to parents in their neighborhoods, at home and in schools.

This kind of communication has garnered notice from state officials.

“Other cities should look to Houston as a model to design their programs and outreach to those who are not or under fed,” said Todd Staples, Texas Agriculture Commissioner. “The city has done a wonderful job of reaching kids who may not get the same nutritious lunches they get during the school year.”

Feed the need
Since 1984, the Summer Food Service Program has grown significantly; last year more than 18 million meals were served statewide. More than 1.25 million of those meals were served through the Houston program and 4 million in Harris County.

Raising awareness is key to the program’s growth, said Sheila Pous, food service office manager.

The increase to more than 400 sites in 2008 is due not only to a bilingual promotional campaign, but also to organizations that saw the need to provide this service to more children, Pous said. The program has steadily added sites, meals and staff.

To reach more families, Parks distributed thousands of posters and flyers, mailed letters to churches and apartment managers, inserted about 450,000 notices in city water bills, and put up 500 signs at host sites.

Set the tables
Host sites include city community centers, churches and schools.

“If there are groups of children who need this service and there is a space that they can easily access, we want to put a site there,” said Jeff Jefferson, division manager of adult sports, aquatics and the summer food program. Any facility - churches, apartments, community and neighborhood centers - that has adequate space and meets state criteria can host the meal and snack programs.

For schools to be considered a site, the state requires that at least 50 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced meals during the school year. Children from more affluent neighborhoods can also apply, but parents must prove financial need. These are considered “closed sites” where only the applicants can participate.

“It is so important that kids get these meals so they can have healthy, active lifestyles,”

Jefferson said. “There’s a lot of kids who would miss meals if not for this program, but there is still more to do to feed the other children.”

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