CLARK COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — For the second consecutive year, the Winchester Police and Clark County Schools are partnering to ensure that students don't go hungry during fall break through a community food drive.
The initiative is personal for Captain Steve Charles, who leads the project, and grew up relying on free school lunches to stay focused in the classroom.
"Knowing that there's kids out there that have it far worse than I did growing up, and they still come to school, they still are expected to learn, and participate and do all these things and we expect them to do that on an empty stomach, I can't imagine that stress," Charles said.
The Clark County native is taking initiative to help the 500 students who rely on the public school's weekend take-home meals. Charles wants to make sure they are taken care of when the district goes on fall break.
"It might be just food to us, but to them, it might really be a lifeline. So it's something that we have to make sure we get it for them," Charles said.
Casey Davis with Clark County Schools said some students dread school break.
"Some kids don't want to go home because of that. They don't look forward to fall break or spring break because they don't have the food at home," Davis said.
For the second year in a row, the school district and police department are asking for non-perishable food donations. They want to provide three meals and a snack per day for students during the break.
"We're hoping this, being able to supply some of this food for them and their families, that kind of makes everybody happy to be able to be home for a few days for fall break," Davis said.
In the first year of this program, the community stepped up in a big way.
"We had enough food to fill up all 500 bags and then some," Charles said.
Several businesses contributed, including Amy's Asian Kitchen in Winchester, which provided yogurt. One citizen even hauled a pallet of Chef Boyardee to the police department's drop-off location.
"The response was overwhelming," Charles said.
The community support warms Charles' heart because he knows students won't go hungry.
"You make sure they're fed, and they know that someone cares, that they have food to eat, and they're excited, they want them to come back to school," Charles said.
