Program helps feed Illinois students during teacher strike

GALESBURG, Ill.— Residents who created a student lunch program called The LunchSpot are planning to restart it to help feed kids during the teachers’ strike.

Rhonda Brady is spearheading the project. She said the plan is a “Plan B” while School District 205 waits for approval from the federal school lunch program.

“I’m working with the district’s food service, finance director and multiple faith-based and government agencies to find locations we have in place to feed the kids,” Brady said.

The program offers kids a sack lunch on days when school is out. The lunches include a sandwich, carrots and possibly a piece of fruit.

District 205 Assistant Superintendent Dave Black is eager to get this program off the ground, but has to wait on the state and federal governments to wade through red tape.

“We’re more than willing to work with them to help get kids lunches,” Black said. “But we’re on the federal school lunch system and we have to follow certain rules.”

Through the government program, the district needs to have approved sites to hand out the lunches. Black said he expects the sites the district has requested to be approved by Wednesday.

Brady is set to step in to start today. She said she already has seen instances of students roaming around near the picket lines, because there’s no food for lunch at home.

“There’s a need to resurrect this now,” Brady said.

The district has seven locations for the lunch program, with an eighth on the way for the Cooke Elementary neighborhood.