Hoosac Valley Summer Eats Monthlong Program Starts July 5
ADAMS, Mass. — The Hoosac Valley Summer Eats program, which offers free meals and other activities to kids and teens in the community, begins today, Tuesday.
Anyone 18 and younger can visit Hoosac Valley Elementary School on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. until Aug. 5 for a free meal. In addition to meals, the program has added activities for students on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
"We wanted to give back to the community and show the kids that we're here for them and not just give them meals for them, but to give them an activity," said Betty-Jo Poulton, the district's food service secretary.
Activities will consist of several different arts and crafts projects hosted on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The first project, decorating flower pots, will be on July 5 and 7.
"We'll kick off the summer program with a flowerpot to show them the growth, not only in our program but their growing as well. It's a little token of appreciation," Poulton said.
Being able to see students in person again, according to Poulton, is what she's most looking forward to this year. The program did to-go meals only during the last two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The pandemic did its toll, not only on the adults but the students," she said. "They suffered as well. They were isolated just as much as we were, if not more. So we want to show them that we are here for them."
This year, the program is sponsored by Project Bread, which seeks to provide food access in the state. Poulton thanked Project Bread, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and members of the community for making the program possible.
"We have a lot of different pieces of this puzzle that will make this program work and I just want to recognize all of them. We couldn't do it without them."
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