USD 257 is once again ensuring that local children have access to nutritious meals, thanks to its growing and evolving summer meal program. Under the leadership of USD 257 Food Services Director Staci Talkington, the district is seeing increasing participation and outreach each year.
This summer, USD 257 is serving free meals to children ages 1 to 18 at both fixed and mobile locations throughout the community. The program offers breakfast and lunch Monday through Thursday, with extra meals distributed on Thursdays to cover Friday’s needs. All told, it guarantees five days of meals per week for any child who needs them — no paperwork, no questions asked.
“It’s not your grandma’s cooking, but it is something nutritious and good,” Talkington said. “And it’s free all the way up to age 18. Even if you graduated in May, it’s still free until the end of the summer.”
ONE OF the program’s most visible components is the MARV Chow Bus — a school bus turned mobile meal service that travels to 11 different locations across the district daily. Originally launched around 2016 and affectionately named MARV (short for “Meals and Reading Vehicle”), the bus was first painted white and decorated with fruit by local students. Though the original MARV has since been retired, its yellow successor continues the mission with labeled signage and scheduled stops.
“We used to have kids sit on the bus to eat and have books for them to read,” Talkington explained. “But after COVID, regulations changed. Now they take their food to-go.”
Last month alone, the MARV Chow Bus distributed 3,832 meals compared to 3,531 meals in June of the previous year. It’s a noticeable uptick that Talkington says shines a light on the program’s growing impact.
The bus stops at all 11 locations, Monday through Thursday. The stops include:
9 to 9:10 a.m. — 100 block of White Boulevard
9:20 to 9:30 a.m. — 200 block of McGuire Drive
9:40 to 9:50 a.m. — 2900 block of Dodge Drive
10:25 to 10:35 a.m. — LaHarpe City Hall (902 S. Washington, LaHarpe)
10:45 to 10:55 a.m. — Gas Community Building (600 W. Pine, Gas)
11:05 to 11:15 a.m. — McKinley Elementary (209 S. Kentucky)
11:45 to 11:55 a.m. — IMS Bus Lane (600 East Street)
12:05 to 12:20 p.m. — Lincoln Elementary (700 N. Jefferson Ave.)
12:55 to 1:10 p.m. — Iola Riverside Park Pool (419 Park Ave.)
