Free lunch: Schools seek to ease tight budgets

By ED ERNSTES

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Budgets are tight for some families when it comes to putting food on the table. Some Elkhart schools are offering help over the holiday break. (WSBT photo)

By WSBT News1

Story Created: Dec 22, 2008 at 8:40 PM EST

Story Updated: Dec 24, 2008 at 10:50 PM EST

ELKHART — The Elkhart school system will keep offering a free lunch program for students during the holidays. It's set up for kindergarten through sixth grade students whose parents are struggling financially.

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The program is taking place at four Elkhart schools, including Mary Beck Elementary. Students in kindergarten through sixth grade can take part.

“It’s free lunch from 11:30 to 12:30 Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week and then Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week,” said Pam Melcher, food service director. “What we're trying to do is just make sure that we can give them what we normally would give them during the school day."

Only a few students turned up for the first day of the program, likely due to the cold, but school officials expect more will take part in the two week program as it warms up

“Now it is the first year for the Elkhart community school system to use this program,” said Melcher. “School officials here saw media reports of it and decided to go ahead with it, given the current state of the economy.”

Budgets are tight for some families when it comes to putting food on the table.

“I think there are families that haven't had the need before, that have the need now,” said Melcher. “Maybe one parent is working, maybe two, so we wanted to do something for the Elkhart community school students — to help them out this year.”

The program is under way at Mary Beck, as well as Mary Daly, Hawthorne, and Riverside schools until December 29.

The lunch program is funded through a federal grant.

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