Nourish Nantucket Launches Summer Student Meals Program to Close Seasonal Food Gap
Nourish Nantucket is launching a new Summer Student Meals program, providing free, nutritious grab-and-go breakfast and lunch to Nantucket students (pre-K–12) throughout the summer months.
Nearly one out of every two Nantucket students qualifies for free or reduced lunches based on federal poverty levels, which doesn’t consider Nantucket’s exorbitant cost of living. When school is in session, many Nantucket students rely on consistent access to breakfast and lunch at school. During the summer, when school meal programs pause, access can become more limited for some families. This program is designed to help fill that gap with low-barrier, ready-to-eat meals.
Meals will be available at 19 Boynton Lane, offering flexible access for students and families. No sign-up is required.
“This is a clear seasonal gap,” said Meg Browers, Executive Director of Nourish Nantucket. “Our community already does a lot to support food access through the Public schools, the Food Pantry, Meals on Wheels, and other prepared meal programs. This is building on that work and making sure students continue to have consistent, healthy meals in the summer months.”
Nourish Nantucket works alongside local partners to identify gaps, support existing programs, and step in where additional capacity is needed. When gaps are identified, Nourish Nantucket helps fund partner programs when possible and, when needed, pilots targeted solutions like this one, with the goal of refining and transitioning programs to long-term partners over time.
The program is made possible in part by Nourish Nantucket’s facility at 19 Boynton Lane, which provides the space needed to safely prepare, store, and distribute meals. Meals are prepared locally and designed to be nutritious, appealing, and easy for busy families. The program’s menus are developed by Kate Ortega, a graduate student in Nutrition and Dietetics and a future Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, completing her community nutrition internship with Nourish Nantucket.
“This is the kind of program that shows what’s possible when a community comes together,” said Bruce A. Percelay, Board Member. “We have the ability on Nantucket to make sure every child has access to healthy food, year-round. Continued community support allows programs like this to launch quickly and reach the families who need them most.”
“We’ve seen firsthand through our partnership with Nourish Nantucket on the school pantry program how impactful this kind of collaboration can be for students and families,” said Beth Hallett, Superintendent of Nantucket Public Schools. “Summer is a challenging time for our families to have consistent access to meals; this program will fill a critical summer gap for Nantucket students and families.”
Alongside the launch of Summer Student Meals, Nourish Nantucket is conducting a Nantucket Family Survey to better understand the school community’s needs, barriers to access, and gaps in the current food system.
“We want to hear directly from parents and guardians,” Browers said. “The survey will help us understand what’s needed, what’s not, and how we can be most responsive.”
Community members can support this work at nourishnantucket.org/donate. For more information on accessing the summer student meals program, contact Laurie@nourishnantucket.org.
