logo
Greenville schools to launch program combatting food insecurity. Where kids can get free food

Greenville schools to launch program combatting food insecurity. Where kids can get free food

Yahoo22-05-2025
In Greenville County alone, there are 60,850 people who are currently living with food insecurity.
Two-thirds of them are a single parent household with children, according to Loaves & Fishes, a nonprofit food rescue organization in Greenville. 15,320-plus children (12.7%) in the county do not have reliable food sources.
And there is a difference between hunger and food insecurity, the nonprofit points out.
"Hunger is the feeling someone has when they don't have food. Food insecurity is the consistent lack of food to have a healthy life because of your economic situation." it said.
Beginning Tuesday, May 27, Greenville County Schools will be participating in the Seamless Summer Food Service Program, which will provide free breakfast and lunch for children under 18 years old. The program will run through Thursday, July 31.
Meals must be eaten at the participating school unless the location offers curbside pickup.
Here's what schools are participating in the program.
∎ Breakfast: Served from 7:45-8:15 a.m.
∎ Lunch: Served from 11: 30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
∎ Alexander Elementary School
∎ A.J. Whittenberg Elementary School
∎ Berea Elementary School
∎ Bryson Elementary School
∎ Buena Vista Elementary School
∎ Chandler Creek Elementary School
∎ Cherrydale Elementary School
∎ Ellen Woodside Elementary School
∎ Heritage Elementary School
∎ Lake Forest Elementary School
∎ Mauldin Elementary School
∎ Monarch Elementary School
∎ Monaview Elementary School
∎ Mountain View Elementary School
∎ Plain Elementary School
∎ Sara Collins Elementary School
∎ Summit Drive Elementary School
∎ Taylors Elementary school
∎ Thomas E. Kerns Elementary School
∎ Breakfast: Served from 8:30-9 a.m.
∎ Lunch: Served from 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
∎ Roper Mountain Science Center: Served from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday through Saturday starting Wednesday, May 28 to Saturday, July 26. Please note that the center will be closed on July 4.
∎ Beck International Academy
∎ Berea Middle School
∎ Bryson Middle School
∎ Greer Middle School
∎ Lakeview Middle School
∎ Tanglewood Middle School
∎ Woodmont Middle School
∎ Breakfast: Served from 8:30-9 a.m.
∎ Lunch: Served from 11: 30 a.m.-12: 15 p.m.
∎ Fourth of July week: Meals will not be served during this time.
All Greenville County high schools will be participating in the program with the exception of Hillcrest High School.
Parents and guardians who plan to collect a meal for a child must present the proper documentation like a student ID, report card, or birth certificate. They must also sign a parent pickup log.
Bulk meals containing three to four days' worth of food are available for qualifying children.
∎ Rudolph Gordon School: Offers curbside pickup two times a week from June 2 to July 24, Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Pickup will not be available the week of July 4.
∎ Slater Marietta Elementary: Offers curbside pickup two times a week from June 2 to July 24, Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Pickup will not be available the week of July 4.
∎ Ellen Woodside Elementary: Offers curbside pickup two times a week from July 7 to July 24, Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Greenville schools offering free meals this summer: See when, where
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Beloved Dog Who Went Missing During Texas Floods Found Alive
Beloved Dog Who Went Missing During Texas Floods Found Alive

Newsweek

time4 days ago

  • Newsweek

Beloved Dog Who Went Missing During Texas Floods Found Alive

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A dog that went missing during the devastating floods in Central Texas earlier this month was found alive with help from a trackable GPS collar. The Context During the Fourth of July holiday weekend, Texas experienced severe flash floods, particularly along the Medina and Guadalupe Rivers. The flooding left a trail of devastation, with over 100 people reported dead. What To Know Erin Doguet was 1,500 miles away in Colorado when she learned that her ranch, which backs up to the Medina River, was flooding and her livestock guardian dog, Ziva, was missing, People reported. Over 200 animals at the ranch had been left in the care of Doguet's sister, Shannon, and a pet sitter, Taelyn. "Ziva took off after a predator or possibly also spooked by the big storm, causing her to end up on the back section of the ranch, which is bordered by the Medina River. As she crossed the river, the flood waters rose swiftly, trapping her," Doguet told the outlet. Doguet had previously fitted Ziva with a Tractive GPS collar. Using the device's app, Doguet helped guide Shannon and Taelyn to Ziva's location. After spending approximately 16 hours in a flooded gully, and with help from an audible sound feature on the collar, Ziva was found and rescued by Shannon and Taelyn. "The app worked flawlessly in guiding us to her location," Doguet told People. A photo shows flooding caused by a flash flood at the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, on July 5, 2025. A photo shows flooding caused by a flash flood at the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, on July 5, 2025. Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images Doguet said Ziva was physically unharmed but exhausted. The dog drank water and rested for over 12 hours upon returning home. Across Central Texas, other survival stories have emerged from the devastation. A dog named Superman was found atop debris after being swept away by the floods. Animal organizations, such as Austin Pets Alive!, have taken in hundreds of displaced pets, mobilizing veterinarians, staff, and volunteers to aid in the emergency response. What People Are Saying Erin Doguet told People: "I burst into tears knowing they found her alive! When the collar kept reporting her same location for hours on the river, I feared she was dead." Suzie Chase, a community affairs officer for Austin Pets Alive!, previously told Newsweek: "The Central Texas community has been incredibly generous, dropping off canned pet food, blankets, towels and crates. They have volunteered to help transport animals from Kerr County and help with the search and rescue efforts. We are so grateful!" What Happens Next Austin Pets Alive! announced in a Facebook post on Wednesday that its flood response efforts are ongoing. "You can help us continue to be there for Central Texas pets and their communities through our disaster relief efforts by donating funds or supplies, volunteering, fostering, or adopting," the organization said. Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@

Snapshot of food insecurity in Illinois and the U.S.
Snapshot of food insecurity in Illinois and the U.S.

Chicago Tribune

time20-07-2025

  • Chicago Tribune

Snapshot of food insecurity in Illinois and the U.S.

Before July 4, food insecurity was already a growing issue across the United States. Here are some of the reasons why: The legislation expanded work requirements for SNAP recipients in the following categories who were previously exempt: If SNAP recipients in those categories don't find 80 hours of work per month, they will lose their benefits. Nearly 2 million Illinoisans were using SNAP benefits in 2024 — 15.7% of the state for the seventh-highest percentage in the nation, the Illinois Policy Institute reported. SNAP recipients are not the only ones in need of food assistance, though. Mike Havala, president and CEO of the Naperville-based nonprofit Loaves & Fishes Community Services, explained the 'SNAP gap' at a roundtable event in Geneva earlier this month. Here's the idea: Many people in the 'SNAP gap' and on SNAP benefits depend on food pantries to supplement the limited food they can afford. Because of the 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' even more people will need help from nonprofit food banks and pantries.

The Texas floods washed away their possessions. Volunteers are helping reunite them.
The Texas floods washed away their possessions. Volunteers are helping reunite them.

Yahoo

time19-07-2025

  • Yahoo

The Texas floods washed away their possessions. Volunteers are helping reunite them.

Matthew Rafferty was scouring the flooded riverbanks of Texas Hill Country last weekend when he stumbled on a mud-soaked baby quilt. Rafferty, a Virginia firefighter who was deployed to hard-hit Kerr County to help with search and recovery efforts, folded it up and took it back to his hotel. He rinsed it off in the bathtub. He worried the drain might clog because of all the filth, tree roots and rocks that came out. But the tub survived and, after a trip to the laundromat, the quilt was virtually good as new. He posted a photo of the blanket on a Facebook group where people across central Texas are keeping track of things they've recovered from the devastation: waterlogged clothes, stuffed animals, Barbie dolls, marriage licenses, family photo albums. Rafferty eventually connected with the quilt's owner and hand-delivered it to her. 'I'm a father of 3-year-old twin boys. I know if I'd gone through something like these quilts, I'd want it back,' said Rafferty, 34. Rafferty is part of a loose network of first responders, volunteers and good Samaritans who have fanned out across the region to help reunite Texans with the cherished belongings, family heirlooms and everyday household knickknacks that were swept away when floods ripped through Kerr County over Fourth of July weekend, killing more than 130 people and leaving at least 100 missing. This week, NBC News spoke with people in the region about the objects that have turned up in the floods' aftermath — and why they matter. In some cases, seemingly trivial items have taken on far greater emotional significance in the wake of the deadly floods. These are some of their stories. The jewelry Patty Hyatt was inside her mobile home with her 8-year-old grandson and her new beagle puppy early July 4 when her son called. The floodwaters were rising fast and they needed to get to higher ground as soon as possible, he told her. Hyatt, a 67-year-old retired teacher, loaded everyone into her Toyota Tacoma and headed to her son's house, leaving most of her things behind. When she returned to the Old River Road RV Resort the following morning, her 42-foot Forest River home was gone, washed away by the floods. She was heartbroken. 'I just lost stuff, not loved ones,' she said — but most objects in her home were associated with special 'memories' and she was sorry to see them go. That's where Dondi Persyn stepped in. Persyn, 54, posted a photo of some of Hyatt's jewelry on 'FOUND on the Guadalupe River,' a Facebook page she created that she runs with the help of friends. The jewelry had turned up in Center Point, roughly 10 miles from Kerrville. Persyn, who used to own a vintage store, spent a night untangling and cleaning Hyatt's necklaces and bracelets by hand, restoring some of their luster. It turned out that during the flash flooding, Hyatt's orange clamshell necklace and other pieces had been fortuitously held together by a pink string — a bracelet that a student had made for Hyatt more than a decade ago. In that, Hyatt saw rich symbolism. 'The children have always held me together,' Hyatt said. 'They're still holding me together.' The totem pole Ten years ago, Shelby Johnson bought something on a lark from a merchant in San Antonio: a hand-carved and painted totem pole. She named it 'Oonka Oonka.' The totem pole was a highlight of her annual spring break parties, and it stood proudly on the back porch of her boyfriend's house, located on a secluded stretch between Center Point and the town of Comfort. Flash-forward to the chaos of July Fourth: Johnson, 53, and her boyfriend, J.R. Haas, fled to higher ground in their trucks before the floods deluged his house. When they returned, they discovered most of their possessions were destroyed, the house reduced to a 'disgusting, muddy mess.' They found the remains of one of her three cats, a kitten named Fancy, and realized Johnson's Volkswagen Jetta had floated down the road. Apparently, so had Oonka Oonka. The totem pole was found off a riverbank in Comfort by Cory Nicholson, a 40-year-old volunteer searcher and roofing contractor who posted his discovery on the Facebook page. The wooden sculpture had emerged intact and mostly unscathed. 'It was in close to perfect condition,' Nicholson said. Oonka Oonka has been returned to Johnson, who sees her 10-year-old purchase in a different light. 'He's turned into a symbol of survival now,' she said. The camp sign Brandon Hamrick and his wife, Shanndel, volunteered to help search for bodies just a day after raging waters tore through the region. They were combing through a riverbed near their home in Center Point on July 5 when they found a 2-by-2-foot wooden sign in the shape of a heart. It was a remnant of Heart O' the Hills, a summer camp for girls in the flood-battered community of Hunt. Hamrick, 47, wiped mud off the face of the sign. The white paint was torn and chipped in some spots, but he could make out inscriptions from campers — including one apparently dated 1992. 'I could see the names of all these girls on there. I felt joyous, in a way, because I knew I could bring it back to them,' Hamrick said. He believed returning the sign to Heart O' the Hills could bring a small measure of solace to a community mourning the loss of Jane Ragsdale, the camp's co-owner and director, who died in the floods. (The camp was not in session during the disaster.) Brandon and Shanndel, who build custom pickup trucks for a living, found children's toys along the riverbed, too — a tiny doll with long blond hair, a 'Paw Patrol' stuffed animal. They gathered up as much as they could. The Hamricks plan to drive out to the camp to hand-deliver the sign to the surviving owners. The memorial bench Four years ago this month Patricia Jernigan's daughter Shannon died from breast cancer. She was 50. The two women lived together in Texas Hill Country. They enjoyed their lives in the area; Shannon was a material program manager for the supply chain at A7 Defense & Aerospace and in her spare time admired Kerr County's population of white-tailed deer. In honor of Shannon's life, Patricia installed a commemorative bench at Lehmann-Monroe Park, a 27-acre patch of land west of the Guadalupe River. The park was thrashed during the floods, and the bench was apparently swept away to nearby Louise Hays Park. That's where it was discovered by Orlando 'Orly' Ayala, a 38-year-old volunteer searcher. Ayala was digging through piles of debris when he spotted the bench at the base of a cypress tree on the night of July 10. 'I cleaned it off and I realized, 'Wow, this is really something,'' said Ayala. Patricia, 77, said she wants the bench to be reinstalled in Kerrville after the area is cleaned up. The plaque that had been affixed to the bench has gone missing, but she hopes it is found. That way, passersby and animal watchers can read the poem under Shannon's name — five rhyming lines Patricia wrote in her daughter's memory: When it comes to God's critters big or small she wanted to feed them one and all But when it came to deer, such gentle souls she loved to feed them with hands and bowls Forever we will love the heart of this baby girl. This article was originally published on Solve the daily Crossword

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store