Crenshaw County Schools have begun their summer feeding program with SUN Meals To-Go, providing nutrition to children in Crenshaw County and the surrounding area. 

The Summer Nutrition Program (SUN) Meals To-Go provides nutritious meals for children at no cost to the parents and guardians during schools’ summer break. 

“The food insecurity in our rural area is real,” said Ruth Bayman, the child nutrition program director for Crenshaw County Schools. “Being able to offer meals for the entire summer is beneficial for our families. Just as we offer summer programs at school for the academic and social needs of our families, offering meals to all children 18 and under in Crenshaw County will increase stability and learning for these families.” 

With SUN Meals To-Go, families receive meals to last seven days. This includes breakfast and lunch: frozen entrees, fresh fruit and vegetables, 100% fruit juice, chips, crackers, frozen vegetables and milk. 

The meals are available for all children 18 and under, regardless of their enrollment in Crenshaw County Schools. Parents or guardians must register for the program ahead of delivery or pickup.

“This program is designed to serve the entire community, especially in rural areas where options for summer nutrition may be limited,” said Superintendent Ashley Catrett. “When school is out, students lose access to daily meals that many depend on. The SUN program helps fill that gap, ensuring that students continue to receive the nutrition they need to grow, stay healthy, and be ready to learn when they return to school in the fall.”

For obtaining the meals, there are two options for parents and guardians: multi-meal parent/guardian pick-up and home delivery. 

With multi-meal pick up, participants show up at designated sites each week to receive the week’s supply of meals. The three designated sites are Brantley High School (BHS), Highland Home School (HHS) and Luverne High School (LHS). Children do not need to be present to receive a meal. 

 “The meals-to-go option will allow families in the most rural areas of our county to receive meals for 7 days – breakfast and lunch,”  Bayman said. “…With non-congregate options, we have reached more of our children in the area. 
“Not all kids are close to town or to the school sites; with non-congregate options, they can leave with their meals and more kids and parents love this option.”

Additionally, this year Crenshaw County Schools is offering home delivery options for participants. After being approved by Crenshaw County Schools, families with eligible students have the option to have meals delivered to their address. 

The first day of the program was May 23. Schools were able to reach over 650 families with parent pick-up and home delivery options. 

Parents and guardians interested in the SUN Meals To-Go program can register by visiting the Crenshaw County Schools website http://www.crenshaw-schools.org/ and navigating to the Summer Meals tab. Families can also sign up for the program at their first-pick up, where paper forms are available on site. 

The next SUN Meals To-Go pick up date is May 29 from 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at BHS, LHS, and HHS. This will continue every Thursday until July 31.

“I’m incredibly proud that we are able to offer the SUN Program in Crenshaw County,” Catrett said. “As a smaller school system, we know how impactful every resource can be. Being able to extend this support to our families shows that we’re not just educating students. We’re caring for the whole child.
“It speaks to the dedication of our staff, our community partnerships, and the importance of ensuring that no child goes hungry, even when school is out.”