Bread for Life, Southington partners report 5,000 free meals served during summer program

Bread for Life representatives told the Southington Board of Education their summer lunch program distributed roughly 5,000 free meals in town this summer through a partnership with the district, local donors and volunteers.

“ We totaled up as of this week 5,000 meals distributed in the town of Southington for free,” Missy of Bread for Life said, describing a mix of locations and activities that included Monday/Wednesday/Friday service at the Apollo, Park & Rec deliveries, and four camps the organization supports. Missy highlighted volunteers from Southington High School’s robotics and athletic teams who mentored younger children and led activities.

Missy said the Stocker Foundation funded food and programming so there was no cost to the Board of Education for food; the organization did identify staff funding as a challenge. Partners named in the presentation included local restaurants and donors, volunteers, the South Central Health Department, and school staff who helped on-site. A parent quoted during remarks said the program was crucial for larger families that faced higher summer food costs.

Bread for Life said the collaboration brought community programming and volunteer mentoring into summer meals and that the group plans to continue and expand the effort. The administration thanked the presenters and noted the success was a strong example of partnership between the district and local organizations.