Published: April 23, 2008 07:21 am      

Summer nutrition program set

The Woodward Public Schools Child Nutrition Program will be serving breakfast during the summer program for the second consecutive year.

The breakfast and lunch program will run from June 2 until June 27 and is not limited to summer school students.

“This program is for all children 18 years and younger,” said Child Nutrition Director Peggy Purgason. “We do not discriminate against anyone. They do not have to be a resident of Woodward.”

Purgason said any children in the area or who may be visiting Woodward during the summer feeding program dates may take advantage of the meals offered Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.

The program is not limited to children. Adults who wish to accompany children or adults who would like to eat at the serving site, Woodward Middle School cafeteria, may do so for the price of $1.75 for breakfast and $3 for lunch.

According to Purgason the summer feeding programs began in the United States in the 1970s. While the summer lunch program has been going on for several years, the summer breakfast program has only taken place once in Woodward.

Purgason said she saw the need to start a breakfast program through the existing lunch program.

“I had kids that would stand (outside the cafeteria) from about 9 o’clock on waiting to eat (lunch),” said Purgason.

Last year the summer program had a daily average of 175 participants for breakfast and a daily average of 300 participants for lunch.

The program is important because more kids are hungry than people realize, said Purgason.

“At any given time in the state of Oklahoma one in five children are at the risk to go to bed hungry,” said Purgason, who learned the startling statistic from the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.

And hunger can have an adverse affect on the ability to learn, said Purgason.

“It’s a proven fact that hungry kids do not do well in testing, grades, behavior,” said Purgason.

Public school child nutrition programs are funded by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Woodward will also be serving summer breakfast and lunch at Oak Park School.