New summer lunch program launches to help feed Dixon-area students during school break
HOLLY RIDGE, NC (WWAY) — A new community partnership is working to ensure local children have access to nutritious meals throughout the summer.
The Kiwanis Foundation of Topsail Island has launched the Dixon Summer Bridge Lunch Program, an initiative designed to help address childhood food insecurity among 132 students attending Dixon-area schools in Onslow County.
The program is a collaboration between the Kiwanis Foundation of Topsail Island, Share the Table, and the Town of Holly Ridge. Organizers say the effort was created to fill a critical gap for students who depend on school meal programs during the academic year but may have limited access to healthy food when school is out of session.
Participating students will receive two weeks’ worth of shelf-stable lunch items every other week throughout the summer. Food distributions will be held bi-weekly at Holly Ridge Town Hall and First United Methodist Church of Sneads Ferry. For families without transportation, Kiwanis volunteers will deliver meals directly to their homes.
“Hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation, and neither does our commitment to serving children,” said Vicki Fincham, president of the Kiwanis Club of Topsail Island Area. “The Dixon Summer Bridge Lunch Program was developed after local educators identified a need among students attending Dixon-area schools. This new program helps ensure children continue to have access to nutritious meals during the summer months and bridges the gap between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next.”
Each package contains child-friendly, shelf-stable foods intended to provide lunch options for the following two weeks. Organizers say the goal is to help children remain healthy and nourished while school meal programs are unavailable.
Community members, businesses, churches, civic organizations, and individuals interested in supporting the program through donations, sponsorships, or volunteer service are encouraged to contact the Kiwanis Club of Topsail Island Area.
