Free Food!

The num­bers are out, and they show that more than 1,550 free lunches were served this sum­mer at a free lunch pro­gram for school-aged chil­dren in Mont­pe­lier. More good news too… the Mont­pe­lier pro­gram is funded entirely through local dona­tions. The pro­gram, accord­ing to the Bryan Times, began in 2009 as a free break­fast pro­gram, then tran­si­tioned a year later to a lunch pro­gram. All money, includ­ing the cost of food, drinks, nap­kins, and uten­sils, comes from dona­tions from the Mont­pe­lier com­mu­nity. And those dona­tions come in all forms, from $1,000 checks to a $5 bill from an elderly lady at church. Some peo­ple have even donated plas­tic forks and other uten­sils. No state or fed­eral money has ever been accepted, and all pur­chases are made locally too, from Two Guys and Millers in Mont­pe­lier, keepint all the the money cir­cu­lat­ing in the com­mu­nity. The total cost comes to about $2 per meal accord­ing to those behind the efforts.
The lunches are served at the con­ces­sion stand in Mont­pe­lier Munic­i­pal Park each week­day from noon to 12:30. On aver­age, they served about 32 kids a day this sum­mer. It was noted that more than 50 per­cent of Mont­pe­lier school stu­dents meet the fed­eral poverty stan­dard for free or reduced-price lunches.