OPAA serving thousands of RO kids this summer

Area kids in the Red Oak community are continuing to have their nutritional needs met on summer break.
OPAA Food Management, which has been contracted by the Red Oak Community School District, is managing the lunch program for the district. Director of nutrition services Elizabeth Jones, who oversees Red Oak, said Opaa is currently in the middle of its summer food program.
“It is a federally funded program through the USDA, and is sponsored by the Red Oak School District. We have been handing out bags containing healthy breakfasts and lunches, amounting to 10 meals in total. They also include the necessary fruits, vegetables and milk to qualify as a meal,” Jones said.
The Red Oak School District is one of thousands of school districts across the country rolling out the new free drive-through summer meal program for its school children.
“It is available to the community for any child 0-18 years of age, and there are no income qualifications nor is there any paperwork to complete. We distribute meals on Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Red Oak Jr./Sr. High School’s south entrance. The program will continue to run until Aug. 14,” commented Jones. “A parent or guardian simply drives through the pick-up line at the designated date and time to receive a meal-filled grocery bag for each child under age 18.  It’s not too late to get started.”
The program is designed primarily for rural and underserved communities like Red Oak where food insecurity spikes when school is out. OPAA leads similar summer meal programs in more than 70 school districts instate and surrounding states. Jones said numerous meals are being collected each week. So far, countless kids have benefitted from the program.
“We’re seen increases in the number of people using the program each week. We’re handing out around 5,600 meals per week, and so far this summer, over a five-week period, we’ve handed out 30,534 meals in the Red Oak community. We expect that number to keep increasing as the program continues this summer. There’s a lot of time and work put into it but we recognize the need for the program in the community,” stated Jones.
More information about the program can be found at educate.iowa.gov/pk-12/operation-support/nutrition-programs/summer.