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Evening pickup time helps provide hundreds of meals to Polk County children

Hundreds of meals feeding Polk County children – that proved the end result of Polk County Schools’ first evening food distribution.

Helping with food distribution at the first evening meal pickup included, back row, from left: District cafeteria staff members Belinda Painter, Trina Burnett and Carol Brown; front row, from left: Child Nutrition Director Jennifer Painter and Sgt. Tim Martin with the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Not pictured: Polk County Schools' Rachael Haynes-Wood and Dave Scherping

Hundreds of meals feeding Polk County children – that proved the end result of Polk County Schools’ first evening food distribution.

The district held its initial late-day pickup of meals on Thursday, Oct. 8. Child Nutrition Director Jennifer Peeler created the event as an opportunity for parents and guardians to receive weekend meals for any Polk County child under the age of 18.

For each family that stopped by Polk County Schools’ bus garage on Hampton Street in Columbus, a breakfast and lunch for Saturday and Sunday awaited. That meant that families could begin the weekend with four meals for each child.

“We had families request meals for more than 100 students,” Peeler said. “This means we sent home almost 500 meals last week.”

Evening distributions will continue on Thursdays from 4-6 p.m. through the end of December. The meals can be picked up each week at the bus garage – families can look for a sign on Mills Street near the Polk County Courthouse if they need directional help.

“The first week was good,” Peeler said, “but we are excited about seeing more families each Thursday.”

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