According to Feeding America, 1 in 7 children in Missouri face hunger. In many areas, schools try to combat this issue by making sure children get the food they need every day. You might’ve heard the term “free and reduced lunch,” but what does that mean? Free and reduced lunch is a program implemented by many schools, including Hickman High School, that provides lunch at a lower price for those who need it. These lunches are extremely beneficial for students who are in lower-income homes, those who only receive meals during their school lunch and breakfast times, and those whose parents can’t afford the regular lunch and breakfast prices. The criteria for eligibility for free and reduced meals are listed on the form located on the CPS and Hickman websites. Those who are eligible include students in foster care, those who are homeless, those participating in Head Start programs, and migrant students. In this last school year, 2021-22, Hickman decided to implement free lunches for all students to help after the quarantine from COVID-19. “They decided not to make them free and open to everybody (this year)”, commented Principal Grupe, “The only people that qualified, submitted the paperwork to get them.” 

As well as our reduced lunch program for students, we also had a program in the past where we offered dinner sacks. Dinner sacks were free dinners provided to all students enrolled, no matter their family’s size or income. These were provided in only three CPS schools: Hickman High School, Rockbridge High School, and Battle High School. A student or parent would simply fill out an order sheet on the CPS website, and their student could receive a dinner sack. Dinner sacks were available for parents as well, offered at the adult meal cost. These free meals helped students and families who did not have as much access to food at home or did not have a permanent residence at all. During an interview with Principal Grupe, she commented that our athletic director has been advocating for the return of this resource, but that there is just not enough kitchen staff at the moment to continue to provide these.

“We will also have snacks in [the] library,” our principal said. Many of us have seen the snacks and drinks that our library staff sets out during lunch times and other times of the day. Ms. Grupe also mentioned, “Our home-school communicator has stocked a pantry here for kids to have food. But I would say, if anyone is hungry, they can reach out to their counselor, or their dean, or me.” 

Many students have never had to think about the price of school lunch. An anonymous student who benefits from the school lunch program stated the following to these students: “Be more aware of your surroundings, especially if you don’t know about it. It’s a lot more common these days that people don’t have the money to be able to provide them with food for their school day.”