Gwinnett expanding summer meals program for kids

Gwinnett County and Gwinnett County Public Schools are teaming up to help ease hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic by continuing to feed Gwinnett’s children during the summer.

On Friday, May 15, Gwinnett County Public Schools will wrap up the meal service it has provided for the last two months to Gwinnett children 18 years and younger. This service has provided more than 2.2 million meals at 67 school locations and included delivery by school buses within identified clusters. Gwinnett County will fill in when the school district’s program ends by starting its Summer Meals program on Monday, May 18.

Gwinnett County’s program, now in its second year, will expand to add locations and free grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches for children 18 years old and younger. Parents can pick up nutritious meals for their children at 18 park locations around the county to take home or the children can pick up their own meals. The meals, which consist of things like sandwiches and wraps, meet USDA guidelines.

“It is the common goal of the Board of the Commissioners and the Board of Education to assist families and make sure children receive nutritious meals during this challenging time,” said Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlotte Nash. “For some kids, this may be the only meal they get that day. The Board of Commissioners especially want to recognize the school board’s efforts to feed children during the digital learning days just ending and the work they will do when their meals program picks up again in June.”

Locations were selected based on school clusters with 50 percent free-and-reduced-lunch student populations. The Summer Meals program complements a summertime meals program for students offered by Gwinnett County Public Schools. Meals are also available for adults with disabilities. The school district will ramp up its Seamless Summer feeding program for children June 8-26, and will provide school locations once they are finalized.

“This partnership between the school district and the county is a shining example of how Gwinnett County comes together to serve our community,” says CEO/Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks. “Working together, we will be able to bridge the gap and provide food to children while school is not in session over the summer.”

The County program, part of the Summer Food Service Program offered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is being sponsored by the nonprofit Georgia Nutritional Services Inc., which will provide the vendor for the meals.

Last year, Summer Meals served about 10,200 lunches at three parks, which was supplemented by a similar county program that served another 6,500 meals to kids at four other County locations. Children ate lunches and snacks on-site but because of social distancing requirements, the USDA is allowing people to take the meals home this year.

Funding for the program comes from the USDA.

Registration is not required. Meals can be picked up between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. while supplies last at:

• Pinckneyville Park, 4650 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Berkeley Lake
• Shorty Howell Park, 2750 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth
• Club Drive Park, 3330 Club Drive, Lawrenceville
• Freeman’s Mill Park, 1401 Alcovy Road, Lawrenceville
• Lawrenceville Female Seminary, 455 South Perry Street, Lawrenceville
• Rhodes Jordan Park, 100 East Crogan Street, Lawrenceville
• Sweet Water Park, 800 Bethesda School Road, Lawrenceville
• Bryson Park, 5075 Lawrenceville Highway, Lilburn
• Lilburn Activity Building, 788 Hillcrest Road, Lilburn
• Vines Park, 3500 Oak Grove Road, Loganville
• Best Friend Park, 6224 Jimmy Carter Boulevard, Norcross
• Cemetery Field, 211 Cemetery Street, Norcross
• Graves Park, 1540 Graves Road, Norcross
• Lucky Shoals Park, 4651 Britt Road, Norcross
• Lenora Park, 4515 Lenora Church Road, Snellville
• OneStop Centerville, 3025 Bethany Church Road, Snellville
• DeShong Park, 2859 North DeShong Road, Stone Mountain
• Yellow River Park, 3232 Juhan Road, Stone Mountain

For more information, visit www.GwinnettSummerMeals.com or call 770-822-8840.