WEEKEND LUNCHBOX PROGRAM
Schools, area church provide weekend meals
HUTTO — As the holidays approach, the Hutto Independent School District and a local church are seeing a growing number of students take part in the Weekend Lunchbox Program to keep hunger at bay.
Now in its second year, officials with the district and Hutto Discovery United Methodist Church say the initiative offsets rising grocery prices and eases worries about the government shutdown affecting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
The partnership provides food for learners to take home during the weekends and holidays when school is not in session.
“There’s such a need in the community,” said Wendell Teltow, Hutto Discovery UMC co-chair of the Weekend Lunchbox Program. “People don’t want to think we have homeless kids or kids in need in our area, but we do.”
According to school officials, Hutto ISD has about 70 students currently enrolled in the program, but that number typically rises during the academic year.
“We ended last year with about 275 students receiving weekend meals through the program,” said Hutto ISD spokesman James Gazzale.
Teltow noted the church receives daily phone calls asking if children can be added to the program.
“I’ve talked to a social worker that said Christmastime is when parents start having to make a choice between buying presents or buying food. That creates stress and the numbers of people needing assistance go up as it gets closer to Christmas,” Teltow said.
Under the program, mental- health professionals working with the school district identify students who meet federal guidelines to qualify for the Weekend Lunchbox Program through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which guarantees educational rights and protections for school-age children experiencing homelessness.
In a previously released statement, Jeanette Molina, a licensed mental-health professional with Hutto ISD, said school is the one safe place for many learners.
“It provides shelter, (airconditioning) or heat, transportation and a solid meal… (To) be able to give them more food over the weekend, it’s a huge help,” Molina said.
Students usually take home about $5 worth of food items such as a 5-ounce can of tuna, individual oatmeal packets, and cups of macaroni and cheese, cereal and fruit. To protect student privacy, the food is distributed discreetly by Hutto ISD personnel and licensed counselors.
Program leaders from both the district and the church said they are always seeking community support. Officials noted the program can only accept packaged food of a certain size that will fit in a student’s backpack.
Hutto Discovery UMC has a donation bin at 350 Ed Schmidt Blvd.
If donated edibles do not meet the program’s mandated guidelines, the items will go to the Hutto Resource Center.
The community can also donate through the church’s Amazon Wish List at amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ ls/1JNH0KWZ8BJ6N/ref=hz_ ls_biz_ex.
For more information about getting involved or donating, contact the church at 512-846-1707, email [email protected], reach out to Hutto ISD’s Student Services Division at 737-327-7264 or email Molina at jeanette.molina@huttoisd. net.
“ “Christmastime is when parents start having to make a choice between buying presents or buying food.”
— Wendell Teltow, Hutto Discovery United Methodist Church
