Wildwood School District Works to Eliminate Child Hunger

WILDWOOD – A cutting-edge program that school officials hope will help ease child hunger throughout the Wildwood Public School District will greet students in the city’s three schools upon their return from winter break.
Nationwide, the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP) now includes a new universal meal program, Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) that allows qualifying high-poverty schools to offer food to all students at no cost to the student without requiring families to fill out an annual household application.  Successfully implemented in approximately 14,000 schools nationwide during the 2014-2015 school year CEP has impacted more than 6 million students.
“This is a very exiting time for the students of the Wildwood School District,” said Jim Linnington, director of dining services.  “This program allows for all students to enjoy a nutritious meal that will fuel their minds and bodies for studies and activities.”  He added the Wildwood school district is the only one in Cape MayCounty to offer the community eligibility program to its students.
Effective Jan. 1, every student in the Wildwood school district, regardless of household income or financial resources, will be able to enjoy a free nutritious breakfast and lunch that will help keep them on their toes as they go through the academic rigor of their day.
According to Linnington, the primary benefit of participating in the lunch program is the nutritional gain. “Students who are participating in breakfast are more alert during their morning classes and test better in their exams.  Students who participate in lunch maintain an energy level that gets them through the rest of their day.”
Gone, too, is the social stigma of receiving a free or reduced lunch. Many students fall through the cracks and go through their day hungry by no fault of their own.  Students may not qualify for free or reduced cost lunch but are unable to purchase food because the family dollars are stretched to keep a roof over their heads or pay bills. Oftentimes parents do not return paperwork back to school that would qualify their child for a free or low cost lunch.  Under CEP, every student, regardless of the family ability, or inability, to pay, will be offered food.
In addition to offering free breakfast and lunch, students participating in many after school activities will also enjoy after school snacks.  Students who participate in the district’s after school care program will receive dinner and students identified as “in need” will receive backpacks preloaded with nutritious food to help them stave off hunger during the weekend.
In order to be deemed free, the federally funded program requires students to opt from components to make a complete, nutritious meal.  Students’ meals must include at least three selections from a list that includes protein, vegetable, fruit, milk and carbohydrate with a mandatory selection of a fruit or vegetable.  Items that are selected a la carte are not part of the free program.
Linnington said one of his hopes for the new year is that more students will avail themselves to the free program.  He said by creating a healthy and universally accessible environment, “we imagine even more students will participate.”
“Our district has a history of looking for opportunities to create a safety net for our students in an effort to make sure their basic needs are met,” said Wildwood School District Superintendent J. Kenyon Kummings. “The community eligibility program is a great addition to the many nutrition and food programs that are in place within our schools.”
For more information about the Community Eligibility Provision, please contact your child’s school or the WildwoodPublicSchool District at 609-522-7922.