Community service center explores running summer meal program after funding notice

A board member who chairs the Paynesville Community Service Center told the school board the service center is evaluating whether it can run the summer meal program after the previous funding stream ended.

The chair said the service center held an emergency meeting and is exploring what a summer feeding effort would require: certified kitchen access or certified staff, volunteers for packaging and distribution, and funding to cover meals and staffing. Using last year’s operational figures as a guide, the chair said a comparable program would cost roughly $35,000, though final costs will depend on procurement, menu and whether Second Harvest or other vendors supply meals.

The chair stressed the community-led nature of the effort: "This is not a school district problem. This is a community problem," they said, and asked nonprofits and civic groups to consider funding or volunteering. District staff and community partners said the district will provide data and logistical support as the service center evaluates options, but that the program would be run by the service center or another external entity rather than by the district itself.

Organizers planned follow-up meetings with Second Harvest and other partners to firm up menus and cost estimates and asked the board to share possible volunteers or funding leads. No formal board action to fund or operate the summer feeding program was recorded in the provided transcript.