Vowell’s Marketplace provides free school lunches for families

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Almost every school in our viewing area has closed its doors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

But even in a time of crisis, a local supermarket has started a feeding program to help parents during the day.

The people who work at Vowell’s rolled up their sleeves and pulled food off the shelves to provide breakfast and lunch for students.

On Monday, more than 80 students were fed and employees were certain those numbers will grow.

Students were in line for lunch but their cafeteria looked a little bit different.

Due to the recent school closings, Vowell’s Marketplace in Starkville footed the bill for breakfast and lunch for school kids.

“It’s really good and it’ll help out a whole lot. I feel like it’s a blessing for them to give to the kids and they’re pretty happy. They love it and it’s really nice,” said parent Peggy Macon.

Macon said she was blindsided when she found out her children’s school would no longer be open.

That’s why she was grateful to have this program help her family along the way.

“It does get hard out here now, whenever, I’m in need I’m going to be here to take what I can. If they’re giving out a blessing y’all should come on up here and get it,” said Macon.

Jessica Holmes is the Deli-Bakery Manager.

She said the store wanted to provide the same nutritional meal kids would receive as if they were in school.

“We gave the kids sausage biscuits, an orange, and apple juice. For lunch they’re going to have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apple, and a juice as well,” said Holmes.

Over 60 lunches were prepared for lunch and in just the first six minutes, there was only a handful left.

“A lot of people depend on the schools to feed their children, and with the kids not being in school it puts a bind on some of us parents as far as how are our kids going to eat and what are they going to eat today,” said Holmes.

“It’s not something that some people don’t want to do. It’s not shameful if you need help,” said Macon.

Holmes said Vowell’s will continue to help families in the area.

“We have a lot of people that shop in and out of the store. We have a lot of students, we have a lot of parents, and we have a lot of little kids. We just felt like this way our way to give back just a little bit in order to support the community while the community supports us,” said Holmes.

This feeding program will run for the remainder of the week.

Breakfast will be served from 7 a.m. TO 8 a.m. and lunch is from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.