School meals continue through the summer: WSESU looking for volunteers to help with the effort

The Vermont Summer Food Service Program kicked off on June 22. For school kitchens throughout the state, that means continuing serving thousands of meals a week to their communities’ children. In the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU), they can’t do it alone. While school staff are the backbone of the operation, the program can’t operate without volunteers helping with food preparation and working at the distribution sites.

“I am grateful and in awe of all of our volunteers and can not thank them enough for ensuring our students get the nutrition they need to thrive,” said Ali West, Brattleboro Town Schools Food Service Director, Fresh Picks Cafe. “Many of our regular volunteers from the school year are taking a much-deserved break, meaning we have lots of volunteer slots to fill in the coming weeks.”

Shifts range from 30 minutes at distribution sites to 3-hour shifts helping with food prep. If you’d like to help—whether it be weekly or just a few times throughout the summer—you can sign up online at bit.ly/2Nu4RZB.    

For families looking to sign up their kids for meals, please complete this form: bit.ly/3dAGHqM. Meals are available to every child 18 years and younger for free. 

Food Connects is an entrepreneurial non-profit that delivers locally produced food as well as educational and consulting services aimed at transforming local food systems.