Kids Around the Copper Country will Meet Up and Eat Up this Summer

Summer meal programs coming to schools around the state are helping reduce food insecurity among Michigan children. Before the COVID pandemic, there were a few summer meal programs. However, when schools began to close for public safety, state leaders needed to find a way to make sure kids were prepared to learn. Last year the Houghton Portage Township school district and Hancock schools Meet Up and Eat Up provided more than 119,000 meals to local children.

And then when COVID happened, they did a curbside pickup. And the schools could pick if they wanted to do meals for two days or up to seven days. So when you come in, you get what we do at both of these schools is a seven-day pickup. So you get seven breakfasts and seven lunches. And the program is called Meet Up and Eat Up. And last I heard, they were over 300, but that was about three weeks ago. And then if you click on the green icon on the map, it’ll tell you what school, what hours. –Shelby Turnquist, Food service Coordinator, Houghton-Portage Township Schools and Hancock Public Schools

Hancock and Houghton Food Services Coordinator Shelby Turnquist says that helping to lead the program’s logistics has allowed her to see the difference these meals make in children’s lives. She says that the program offers a lot of flexibility for families. Plus kids do not need to be enrolled in the specific district they will meet at in the summer.

For breakfast, we do cereal bowls for four days a week. And then we send out egg patties and sausage and English muffins or bagels so that they can make a breakfast sandwich. We do pancakes. We do waffles. And then they get two fruits with every breakfast. And then their milk. And then for lunch, it’s the items that they get during the school year. Might be Bosco sticks one day. It might be a sub sandwich. –Shelby Turnquist, Food service Coordinator, Houghton-Portage Township Schools and Hancock Public Schools

This year the Hancock and Houghton public school districts will increase the amount of fresh produce available to kids after adding a total of seven farms as suppliers. Tunrquist asks that families, or parents of a child interested in signing their student up for Meet Up and Eat Up near home email or call her directly. The summer meals programs will begin distributing meals to students soon. Those interested in learning more about meet up and eat up or want to find out if a school district in your area plans to participate in summer meals can find more information here.

Families with children under 18 years old can sign up for the meals program by contacting Shelby Turnquist at sturnquist@houghton.k12.mi.us or calling 906-482-0456 Ext 3360 (Kitchen).

Those outside of the Houghton and Hancock area still have opportunities for summer meal programs. Turnquist did note that CLK Schools Carol Janckila will work with families in the Calumet and Keweenaw County. The programs are also available at L’Anse and Baraga schools. Those interested in finding out if a district nearby plans to participate in Meet Up and Eat Up here.