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SFG St Helens
Case Study

Program: St. Helens School District
Contact: Penny Leader
Phone: 503-366-7232 Fax: 503-397-1907
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

The current program began in 1995 when Penny Leader joined the district as their food service director. Although this wasn’t the first time that summer meals had been offered in the community, her predecessor had chosen not to operate the program. Today, St. Helens SD operates one summer meal site at Lewis and Clark Elementary, offering breakfast and lunch. That one sites serves an average of 350-400 kids per day from late June through early August, with participation increasing to as many as 600 kids on particularly busy days.

Penny believes that in the early days outreach was key to the program’s success. They’ve tried lots of different ways of letting families know about the free meals, including:

  • Sending letters to families receiving free or reduced-price meals.
  • Working with the local Safeway to get fliers into grocery bags.
  • Getting on-screen advertising donated by local movie theaters, particularly during Monday matinees targeting families with children.
  • Running newspaper ads.
  • Providing free balloons and t-shirts printed with program information.
  • Printing information in the June lunch menus.
  • Interviews on local radio stations.
These days, the program’s longevity and word of mouth are two of their biggest marketing tools. In this former mill town many families desperately need help, and many of them have come to depend on this program over the years as a supplemental source of nutrition for their children. Penny also offers meals to parents of participating children for around $2.25 per meal – approximately their cost to provide the meal – to encourage parents to bring in their children.

Partnerships with other youth agencies have also helped Penny reach local children. She tries to work with other youth programs such as the REACH program (after school care), a nearby swimming pool, and a special education program to coordinate scheduling so that their participants can also take advantage of their meal program.

All program staff are paid employees of the St. Helens School District. Although some of her school-year employees prefer to have the summer off, others appreciate the extra money and enjoy helping make sure hungry children get fed during the summer months.

Penny says that she has found that it is important to let people know that this is a federally-funded program and is not supported by local property tax dollars.

Penny also likes to remind people that one of the district’s main reasons for starting a summer meal program – that those children who don’t receive adequate nutrition during the summer come back to school less able to learn – is also a crucial reason for convincing families and the community to support the program.


 
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