This is going to be a rough summer for Jefferson County families who rely on programs that provide free breakfast and lunch to students during the academic year.
U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition programs that support on-site and to-go meals at district schools aren’t being offered, and the backpacks with a weekend’s worth of food distributed to students on Fridays is suspended during the summer.
(Registration for the Olympic Peninsula YMCA’s summer meals program, which has limited capacity, has closed.)
The lack of meal programs and the increasing cost of food puts a burden on families already struggling to make ends meet, said Patricia Hennessy, executive director of the Jefferson County Food Bank Association, which has five locations.
”We fully anticipate seeing a spike in need and demand,” Hennessy said. “We are working on what we can do in a very short near term for a quick turn around to make sure that families have what they need to make through the summer.”
A high percentage of students in Jefferson County school districts come from low-income families that qualify for free or reduced-price meal programs, ranging from a low of 47 percent in the Port Townsend School District to 95 percent in the Queets Clearwater School District.
Nevertheless, there are resources for local families seeking assistance, even if they aren’t traditional summer meal programs.
Since 2018, Jefferson Healthcare has partnered with the Jefferson County Farmers Markets to offer VegRx vouchers to children who are patients on Apple Health. Children receive a VegRx voucher from their provider that is good for $20 a month in fresh fruits and vegetables at the market.
The farmers markets also provides access to fresh, locally grown food to families who receive Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program (WIC) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Information about all of the programs can be found at tinyurl.com/467prnkr.
The Jefferson County Food Bank Association’s Tri-Area location at 760 Chimacum Rd. just transitioned to a grocery store model, such as those in Port Townsend and Quilcene. Instead of receiving pre-selected food packages, clients can choose the foods that fill their basket.
“Families and households that have schoolage kids can come in and they can shop together and pick what they want,” Hennessy said.
Hennessy said the impact of federal funding cuts to USDA programs that support food banks and schools was only starting to trickle down, but that they would deepen food insecurity in the area.
“This is a really tough time right now,” she said. “But we have got a great community and hopefully everybody’s gonna step up and make it work and take care of each other.”
Percentage of students in Jefferson County school districts who qualify for free and reduced-price meals:
Brinnon School District (77 percent)
Chimacum School District (72 percent)
Port Townsend School District (47 percent)
Queets Clearwater School District (95 percent)
Quilcene School District (66 percent)
Source: OPSI Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) report
The Jefferson County Food Bank Association’s locations operate throughout the year; call (360) 774-4680 for hours.
Brinnon, 151 Corey St.,
Chimacum, 1925 Blaine St.
Quilcene, 294952 Highway 101
Tri-Area, 760 Chimacum Rd.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com
