Story and Photos By: Isabella Racine
The Douglas County Summer Meals Program serves 2,000 meals each day to local students 
throughout the summer, helping ensure children have access to nutritious food while school is out.
Executive director Danielle Freeman and menu specialist Jazmine Powell work to make a difference across the county. Together, they help provide breakfast and lunch to 2,000 children daily. Students receive a variety of meals, including chicken alfredo, cheese enchilada pockets and hamburgers. Breakfast options include cereal, muffins and Pop-Tarts.
“When we’re in the school year, we serve 7,000 kids,” Freeman said. “But to hear that we only serve 2,000 in the summer means that we have a bunch of children who are hungry. So our goal is to keep expanding the program every year.”
Each day, Freeman, Powell and a team of 10 lunch heroes load thousands of meals onto three vans that travel across the district to deliver food to students. The Summer Meals Program reaches far beyond school campuses, providing meals at schools, churches, football and basketball programs and band camps throughout Douglas County.
Having raised children as a single parent, Freeman said she understands the challenges families face when children are home all day during the summer instead of receiving meals at school.
“I was a single parent,” Freeman said. “I know what it’s like to have your kids in the house all day when you’re used to them only being there for dinner. That is a financial burden to any mom, and it’s expensive. So this way, I’m at least able to help.”
For Powell, seeing students enjoy meals and connect with one another is one of the most rewarding aspects of her work.
“For me, that is one of the greatest rewards, along with knowing that every day I have the opportunity to make a difference and help move our program forward,” Powell said. “Knowing that I am contributing to something meaningful and continually pushing the marker ahead is what keeps me motivated.”
The program continues to grow each year. This summer, it added two community sites where meals are served directly from delivery vans. One of those locations is Golden Estates Mobile Home Park, where staff serve 25 to 50 meals each day Monday through Friday from noon to 12:30 p.m.
“But that mobile part, going out there for lunch, is huge,” Freeman said. “We may not be getting everybody, but we are helping some, and that’s all we can do is keep trying to help.”