Missouri Agencies Respond to National Report About Summer To-Go Meals

(MISSOURINET) –  Two Missouri agencies are responding to an NBC report saying the Show-Me State was the only one in the nation not allowing summer to-go meals this year for low-income students and some adults. Barbara Shaw, with the Missouri Department of Education, says a last-minute federal extension gave states some wiggle room in their summer meal programs. She says Missouri was granted an extension but very few school sites chose to hand out to-go meals.

Department of Health Spokesperson Lisa Cox says community organizations providing the meals were still allowed to apply for that wiggle room. She goes on to say that the expanded access of those programs does not have accountability, which led some – not all – sites to hand out crackers for dinner and another location turned out to be a gentleman’s club – not a meal site.