WILLMAR — For many, summer means great weather, time outdoors and vacations. For Marsha Hegreberg, summer also means making sure her six children are well taken care of between sporting events and summer programs.

“I have a child who can eat a large pizza all by himself, no problem. My grocery bill is incredibly high in the summer,” Hegreberg said.

During the school year, public school students can rely on school-provided breakfast and lunch. During the summer, however, ensuring that children are fed requires more time and money for parents.

To ensure that children are fed locally, whether or not they attend Willmar public schools, a summer feeding program was implemented in Willmar to provide free meals to children in the area.

This year, between 200 and 500 children were cared for in person and with take-away services every day as part of the program from mid-June to mid-August.

About 6,200 breakfasts and 6,700 lunches were served throughout the summer as part of the program, which ends this week, according to Kathryn Haase, Willmar Public Schools’ director of business and finance, who spoke at the Aug. 12 school board meeting.

The program provides meals to any child who wishes to participate. Earlier this summer, there were in-person sessions at Lakeland Elementary and the Area Learning Center during summer school hours and a grab-and-go meal pickup site in Lakeland during the second half of the summer that ended on Friday mornings. The program has also provided meals at daycare centers and Cardinal Place at various locations, as well as mobile meal pickup sites at three apartment locations in Willmar. All meals end on Friday.

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“It has nothing to do with enrollment in public or private school, it has nothing to do with grade levels, it’s really just age-based. We’ve seen babies come to our sites in car seats and get meals, all the way up to 18-year-olds who work at some of these sites,” said Danaca Jensen, director of food and nutrition services for Willmar Public Schools.

The program is operated by the United States Department of Agriculture and overseen by the Minnesota State Department of Education. The program began in 1975 and Willmar has been participating since 2016, according to Jensen.

Since the program’s launch, it has grown year on year as more and more families like the Hegrebergs benefit from it. Originally, the program was designed to support the summer school program. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was expanded to include daycare centers.

“When COVID hit, everyone was used to getting food from the school district. That naturally led to people turning to the school district for food during tough times, and summer is one of those times. Especially in our community right now, we sometimes have issues with access to food and the cost of food,” Jensen said.

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This year, the program has expanded to include remote dining options. Due to a change the USDA made last year, children can take their meals with them instead of eating on-site.

“It’s been a busier summer than most summers because of this no-gathering option. It’s been really exciting and positive to see that, especially our delivery truck routes and the impact and feedback we’re getting from households,” Jensen said.

As part of this expansion, the summer feeding program has been sent on the road. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, staff load a van with meals and travel to locations in Willmar to distribute meals near many children.

“We see about 80 to 90 children in the three residential facilities we visit. We would like to see more, but this is what we achieve,” Jensen said.

By using the mobile food pickup program, Hegreberg estimates she has saved between $400 and $500 on weekends alone.

“That’s just for the weekends with my big family. When we go out to eat, it costs $50 to $100 each time. So I always tell them (their kids) that this saves me at least $1,000 a week … when we go out to eat,” Hegreberg said.

By saving time and money on groceries, Hegreberg and her family were able to spend more time together, attend more games, and purchase baseball and hockey equipment.

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“One of my children first said, ‘There’s no way I’m going to like these dishes,’ but one time when we left the apartment I caught him eating them… and I took a picture of him. He said he wouldn’t eat them, but I have proof. Now they actually run to get the dishes because they like them so much,” Hegreberg said.

What goes into the meals is decided by the school district with guidance from the USDA and the Minnesota Department of Education. Meals include meat and grains, as well as fruits, vegetables and a carton of milk. Staff can add different ingredients to make the meals more exciting.

“Sometimes we do fun ideas, like a chickpea dip that we make with cream cheese and crackers. One of our favorite meals with the students is called Pizza Munchable, which is flatbread with marinara sauce and shredded cheese, and they get to make their own pizza. The kids love it,” Jensen said.

Meal adjustments may be made due to dietary restrictions. Since the majority of children in the program attend Willmar Public Schools, staff are aware of many of these restrictions. However, adjustments can be made for children who do not live in the district with a doctor’s note.

For more information about the Summer Nutrition Program, visit the Willmar Public Schools website under the Nutrition and Diet tab. Dates, times and locations for next year’s Summer Nutrition Program have not yet been announced.

Levi Jones is the West Central Tribune’s business reporter. After growing up in the Twin Cities, Jones studied journalism and media communications at Hamline University. After graduating in 2020, Jones worked as a reporter, covering everything from sports to politics.