Hartland -
Staff at the Hartland Consolidated School are going above and beyond to make sure their students in need get the proper nutrition during vacation week.
An astonishing 80% of the students at the Hartland school that serves Kindergarten-6th grade students qualify for the free and reduced lunch program. The staff here does a lot already to try and make sure their students get the nutrition they need, but with vacation week just around the corner, school officials are concerned. "We know that just because we go on school vacation the kids are still hungry," said David Leighton, Director of School Nutrition for RSU 19. "Unfortunately we are in an area where we have a high percentage of free and reduced kids where they're going to struggle on vacations."
Thanks to the help of local businesses and members of the community, the kids won't have to come to school to get a good meal. The school is sending it home with them.
Wednesday, a volunteer staff from Sebasticook Family Doctors helped school officials pack food for 59 students to take home over vacation. "We have soup. We have cereal. We have granola bars. Tuna, peanut butter, a loaf of bread. All kinds of different things," Leighton said.
It's all part of the snack pack program which uses zero taxpayer dollars, instead counting on the generosity of those in the community. "We serve free breakfast everyday and they're just not going to get that during vacation so this is going to be a big help," said Principal Denise Kimball.
It's the first time this has been tried in RSU 19 and they already plan to do it again before April vacation. Their hope is to make it happen for every school vacation. "I feel like it went really well, really smooth," said Rick Gray from Sebasticook Family Doctors. "A lot of people stepped up and got it done. we're going to continue to do it. we can only get better from here."
Anyone interested in helping out with donations for the Snack-Pack Program for the upcoming April vacation can contact:
RSU 19: 368-5091
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