The summer lunch program at Longfellow Elementary that offers free meals to kids and $3 meals to adults was roundly praised in a story we published today.
This morning, while I was covering the Davison County Commission meeting, Commissioner John Claggett raised some interesting questions about the story. He wonders if the free and cheap lunches are cutting into the business of local restaurants, and he wonders if the government should be dabbling in the summertime meal business.
What do you think?
Wow. Only in Mitchell.
Mr. Claggett needs to realize that school lunch may be the only meal some children receive during the day. While they are in school, they get lunch through the free lunch program. However, now that school is out, these kids have lost the only meal that they could count on. Most of the kids and parents that take advantage of this lunch program are not able to afford to go to a resturant. I see it as helping the people in need instead of hurting the businesses that probably don’t feel it anyway. I think there are larger issues for Mr. Claggett to worry about besides taking food away from hungry kids.
Most people who partake in this program probably would eat at home if they didn’t eat at Longfellow. I’m sure our restaurants aren’t losing out on THOUSANDS of dollars because of this program. Geez!!
I don’t eat out.
If the children of the neighborhood are able to get a meal, instead of P and B sandwich, because their parents are working. Good! They would not be taken to MCD or Burger K for lunch, so let them have a decent meal near their homes.
3$ lunch, go for it.
And then we wonder why the county commissioners need to meet every week. It is plain to see that they do not have enough to occupy their time while they are at the meetings. And Jerry Fisher said he thinks the commisisoners are doing a good job of looking after the countys concerns.
Sorry guys. Claggett had a point. Everyone that eats at Longfellow is NOT necessarily someone that can’t afford to buy lunch elsewhere. You all think this is great, but who do you go to for sponsorship of anything and everything??? McDonald’s, Burger King, Coca-Cola, Pepsi…on and on.
I am sure there are people that take advantage of the food at Longfellow. The program is not set up to be dished out based on income. However, I am concerned about the children and families that get their only nutritional meal of the day at Longfellow. I don’t think people realize how much this program is counted on. People have been laid off, or are under-employed. They still have a family to feed, rent/mortgage to pay, electricity bills etc. It is evident in today’s economy that businesses have cut back on their donations. This was evident when asking for donations for a cause recently. I would rather see McDonald’s and Burger King give out free meals to people in need rather than have them donate sponsorships – even though they are all worthwhile causes. I just have a hard time seeing children and people go hungry when we are fortunate to have a progam that will feed them. Maybe Claggett needs to walk in the shoes of some of the people that rely on the program.
Some of you have raised a good point — I don’t think Claggett was concerned about needy people and kids eating at Longfellow. He was concerned that anyone can eat there, even if they can well afford to frequent a local restaurant instead.
How old is Mr. Claggett? Is he on Medicare? If so, isn’t that competing with private insurance?
I had never heard of this lunch program until today, but it is an absolutely great program. Who cares whether some people could afford another restaurant. At least with this program they will be assured some nutritional value to their meals.
If restaurants in Mitchell are losing customers to (I can’t believe I’m typing this) the SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM at Longfellow Elementary, then they need to step up their game. Good grief.
Really? Apparently it’s a slow month in Mitchell if one of the most pressing topics is whether poor people would be spending money they don’t have on Happy Meals to get by. I’m guessing the free lunches at Longfellow aren’t exactly going to get glowing writeups in the food review column anytime soon, so I’m not sure how much competition they’re putting to the multi-kazillion dollar conglomerates feeding fast food to the masses. Trust me – no one at McDonalds is losing any sleep over what Longfellow’s doing with their free lunch program. If they’re not worrying about it, maybe Claggett should shut his piehole and simply do nothing. The world would be a better place.
Good post, meeps.
Really, it’s less than three months of the year when the resturaunts should be busier with tourists. The bulk of the people eating there are kids who otherwise may not get a halfway healthy meal all day through no fault of anyone’s that’s the hand their families were dealt, unfortunatley. Childhood obesity is fueld by fast food and this is not fast food. The “produce bar” looks great and is vey well stocked with healthy choices. doubled in the last year and we are going to criticize this program?
The number of people using the food pantry has close to what,
When did it become county governments job to worry about private enterprise?
Oh, and those sponsorships and donations, the amount of people that are brought in to town for such a given event more than make up for them. Most resturaunts are glad to give them because the one meal or cone they give away brings in the entire family to spend aother twenty or thirty bucks. That’s the reason they do it.
Great post meeps.