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Middletown expands school food pantry program; district reports up to 1,000 weekend meal packs in high‑need weeks
Summary
District food services described expansion of school food pantries (partnering with Amazing Grace/St. Vincent de Paul), reporting routine weekly distribution to hundreds of students and culturally appropriate accommodations such as halal items at Beaman.
Randall Mehl, the district’s director of food, nutrition and wellness services, told the Board of Education Dec. 9 that Middletown Public Schools has expanded school food pantries and weekend meal access through community partnerships.
Mehl said the program grew from an initial partnership with Amazing Grace Food Pantry (through St. Vincent de Paul) in 2020 and, with fundraising and municipal support, was expanded to include middle and high schools. "We were able to expand that to a consistent amount of students about 300 to 400 students per week," Mehl said, and added that depending on need the high‑school/middle‑school model is serving between 500 and 1,000 student meals for the weekend in some weeks.
At Beaman Middle School, cafeteria lead Jennifer Craft described the 'lunch bunch' operations that let students choose items, participate in a weekly activity and take home food; she noted accommodations for dietary and cultural needs, including halal shelf‑stable options after the pantry coordinated with providers. Craft said participation at Beaman rose from about 30 students to roughly 70–80 weekly.
Board members thanked staff and asked about stigma, logistics and opportunities for observation; staff invited board members to visit and said they are still refining the high school/middle school model.
No budget vote occurred at this presentation; Mehl referenced mayoral and common council funding support that expanded the pantry work previously.
