South Ripley Delivers More Than 25,000 Free Summer Meals to Local Students

It was the school corporation's first year participating in the federal program

Food Service Director Farrah McCracken was recognized at a recent school board meeting. Photo by South Ripley Schools.

(Versailles, Ind.) - South Ripley Community School Corporation's Food Service Department reached a significant milestone this summer by serving 25,700 meals to local students through the Summer Food Service Program, a federally funded initiative designed to ensure children continue to have access to nutritious meals while school is not in session.

This summer marked the district's first year participating in the program, providing an important resource for families throughout the community.

Each Friday during June and July, families were able to pick up a week's worth of breakfasts and lunches for eligible children through a convenient "to go" distribution. The grab-and-go format allowed students to receive healthy meals throughout the week while making participation easy for busy families.

During the program:

• June: 6,395 breakfasts and 6,395 lunches were served (12,790 total meals).
• July: 6,455 breakfasts and 6,455 lunches were served (12,910 total meals).

In total, South Ripley distributed 12,850 breakfasts and 12,850 lunches for an overall total of 25,700 meals, all provided at no cost to students and their families.

"Launching a brand new program and serving more than 25,000 meals in our very first summer is an incredible accomplishment.” said Superintendent Rob Moorhead. It speaks to both the need that exists in our community and the dedication of our Food Service Department and volunteers. We are proud to have been able to support our students and families throughout the summer."

The success of the program began with Food Service Director Farrah McCracken, who led the effort to bring the Summer Food Service Program to South Ripley and coordinated the planning and implementation required to launch the initiative.

"Our goal was simple, to make sure children in our community had access to nutritious meals even when school was out," McCracken said. "The response from families was incredible, and I couldn't be more grateful for our cafeteria teams and community volunteers who worked together every week to make this program a success."

Additional recognition goes to High School/Junior High Cafeteria Manager April Adams, Elementary Cafeteria Manager Tracy Burns, and the many cafeteria staff members who dedicated part of their summer to preparing and packaging thousands of meals.

The district also benefited from the support of numerous community volunteers who helped distribute meals each week, including members of the Versailles Lions Club, the South Ripley boys and girls soccer teams, and several South Ripley staff members.

"This truly was a team effort," McCracken said. "From our cafeteria staff who prepared and packaged thousands of meals to the volunteers who gave their time each Friday, everyone shared the same commitment to serving children. We are incredibly thankful for every person who helped make our first Summer Food Service Program such a tremendous success, and we look forward to serving even more families in the years ahead."

The Summer Food Service Program is a federally funded initiative that helps ensure children continue receiving nutritious meals during the summer months. Following the success of its inaugural year, South Ripley currently plans to continue participating in the program and build on its positive impact for students and families