The Campbell County School Nutrition Program once again lived up to its ‘School Lunch Hero’ status

TOP PHOTO: WLAF’s Charlie Hutson shares a photo of the long line of cars ready to pick up meals at Valley View Elementary School back in July.

By Charlotte Underwood

CAMPBELL COUNTY, TN (WLAF)- The Campbell County School Nutrition Program “once again lived up to its ‘School Lunch Hero’ status this past Summer,” according to school officials.

“Our staff served 54,036 breakfasts and 56,993 lunches to students across our county!” said Campbell County School’s Nutrition Supervisor Jamie Gillum.

All those breakfasts and lunches were distributed throughout the summer at three locations, Campbell and Jellico High Schools and Valley View Elementary School.

Efficiency abounds at this Valley View Summer Feeding program day as recipients line up early and move through efficiently while Brandy Gibson’s staff doesn’t skip a beat in their distribution.

This year’s summer feeding program kicked off on June 3rd. Students were able to pick up meals for free once a week to take home during the summer.

“Our Summer Feeding Program continues to be a resource for families across Campbell County. This summer, we reached thousands of children, ensuring that no student went without access to healthy meals while school was out of session, said Director of Campbell County Schools Jennifer Fields.

She said that “just because school may be out for the summer, hunger never takes a break.”

Lots of preliminary work goes into preparing for a distribution day.

“By providing nutritious meals throughout the summer months, we not only supported children’s health but also gave parents peace of mind during a time when food insecurity can be at its highest,” Fields said.

According to Gillum, some of the items required cooking, but most of it cand be made in the microwave or fixed easily.

According to Gillum, Congress started the “special food service program for children” in 1968 to address child hunger in the summer months. It has grown significantly since that time. In 2024 Tennessee approved 1,350 approved feeding sites statewide and served approximately 4.9 million meals across the state

The Campbell School Nutrition Summer Feeding Program alone served 54,036 breakfasts and 56,993 lunches.

Jamie Sharp, center, picks up meals for her youngsters and is with Micaela Combs (left) and Danielle Lowe (right) at a July distribution day at Valley View Elementary School.

“The hard work of our School Nutrition staff, bus drivers, and volunteers made it possible to deliver meals into neighborhoods, meeting families right where they are,” Fields said.

Gillum and Fields both complimented the nutrition staff and all those who make the summer feeding program possible each year.

“The continued dedication and hard work of our school nutrition team is what makes this program possible, and their commitment to serving our students is something we are proud of as a community.” Gillum said. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-08/26/2025-6AM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF WLAF’ S CHARLIE HUTSON)

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