The Oglethorpe Echo
Any child in the county can get free food during the summer — through the Happy Helpings program.
“They’re not turning anybody away that lives in Oglethorpe County,” said Oglethorpe County School System parent mentor Kasey Taylor. “It’s not income-based at all.”
Happy Helpings started delivering meals to children and teens on June 8. The weekly meal delivery service includes seven breakfasts and seven lunches throughout the summer. The food comes frozen so it can be preserved for future use.
All children 18 years of age and younger are eligible to participate. Additionally, adults age 19 and older who are enrolled in school programs for persons with disabilities may also be eligible.
As a parent liaison, Taylor helps connect people to the program, which is serving more than 100 families in the county so far. She’s even sent in forms on behalf of several families who don’t have the technology to do so themselves.
“I have had tons of responses, so I was really excited that everybody was excited about signing up for it,” Taylor said.
Food insecurity is a pressing issue for many families in Oglethorpe County, especially during the summer months when schools are closed.
“There’s so many people in the community that don’t have the income to be able to feed their family in the summer,” Taylor said.
Data provided by Feeding America found that in 2023, the child food insecurity rate in Oglethorpe County was 17.2%, with 28% of students with food insecurity likely ineligible for federal nutrition programs.
“Overall in Georgia there’s a need for free meals,” said Cindy Kicklighter, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning marketing and outreach manager. “If you have a high food insecurity rate, that just tells you that you’re going to have some kids that may fall through the cracks.”
Happy Helpings is federally funded by the USDA and administered by the Department of Early Care and Learning’s Nutrition Services Division. DECAL has partnered with nonprofit Open Hand Atlanta to provide these free meals in Oglethorpe County.
“We have a recruitment campaign that usually starts in October of every year. We worked with a lot of family connection groups in each county, and they bring together a lot of nonprofit organizations,” Kicklighter said.
Taylor said she hopes the food delivery service will help reduce stress for families in Oglethorpe County, and that no student has to worry about where they get their next meal.
“Sometimes the only meal that they get is at school,” Taylor said. “So if we can bring that to their home during the summer, I think that's going to be a huge blessing.”