NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson USD 308 Director of Nutrition Services Jennifer Tatro notes that though the Summer Nutrition Program isn't quite as large as the daily lunch during the school year, it's still significant in terms of getting Hutch kids fed.
"We employ roughly 20 staff members over the summer," Tatro said. "The meals are prepared at HMS-7 and then they are transported to the various sites. All of our meals are to go. We are open Monday through Friday for lunch service from 11 a.m to 12 p.m. at the Fairgrounds Splash Park. The Hutchinson Public Library is open from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. We are also open at HMS-7 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m."
One of the more difficult parts of the job is knowing how much food to send to each site, so the district needs information to accomplish that.
"There's no preregistration required," Tatro said. "Some days we might serve 500 at a site and other days, we might serve 250."
Children need to be present to receive meals for the first time at a site.
"Once you bring all your children in to us the first time, we will issue you a meal pass with the number of kids that you brought," Tatro said. "From that point going forward, any adult can bring in that meal pass and show it to us and they do not have to have their children present in order to get the number of meals on the meal pass."
The Summer Nutrition Program runs weekdays through July 28, 2023. There will be no meals served on July 3, 2023, and July 4, 2023.
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