Seven-year-old Chloe Copeland already knows what she likes most about the summer meals in Troup County, Georgia: the fish sticks, the breakfast bars and getting to share the meals with her family.
For Chloe, summer means spending time with family and getting ready for second grade. But for many families across Troup County, summer can also mean losing access to the consistent meals children rely on during the school year.
“A lot of people, they don't even think about it. It's 2026, everybody has food, right? But they don't,” said Melissa Hutchins, local director of Chartwells, the school dining and food service management company in Troup County.
“We see kids. You ask them, ‘Are you excited for the weekend?’ and they often reply that they aren’t,” Hutchins said.
Those moments offer a glimpse into a reality that is often hidden. For some children, weekends and summers aren’t a break from routine. They’re a break from reliable meals.
While summer meal programs exist in schools across the country, in rural communities like Troup County, about an hour from Atlanta, the real challenge is not just whether meals are available. It is whether children are reached.
Families are not always just around the corner from a meal site. Distance, transportation and daily routines can all make it harder for children to consistently access food.
To address that challenge, meals in Troup County don’t just stay in one place like traditional meal sites. They move.
Programs like grab-and-go meals are designed to remove those barriers and meet families where they are, creating a system that works within daily life. Meals are delivered into neighborhoods across the community, sometimes reaching families who might otherwise be missed or may not even know the route exists.
By bringing food closer to families, these programs help create more consistent access for children throughout the summer months.
“They furnish us enough for the four kids. I can come and get these meals, and then we don't have to go to the grocery store,” said Kenneth Copeland. “So that saves gas and time right there.”
For many households, that kind of access makes a difference. It can relieve pressure in ways that are not always visible from the outside, resulting in fewer difficult choices and more stability for both parents and children.
For kids, the impact shows up in more immediate ways.
“The fruits make my body feel strong, healthy, and my brain feels ready to learn,” said Chloe.
Access to consistent, nutritious meals does more than address hunger in the moment. It supports children’s ability to focus, learn and engage.
“There’s an improvement in overall behavior,” said Diane Paine, the district’s nutrition director. “When kids have something to concentrate on eating, they’re less distracted, and I do feel that the kids have more ability to learn.”
But the importance of these programs goes beyond individual meals. They are designed to reach children who might otherwise be missed, especially in a place where need is not always visible.
“Kids don't get to choose their circumstances,” said Ann-Katherin Petty, a parent and teacher. “They just know the hunger pains and they have to wait until they get to the summer meal program to receive something.”
That is what these programs are working to change by ensuring meals reach the children who need them most.
“I see when the kids come, and they get excited,” Hutchins said. “It just makes a big difference.”
That excitement reflects more than just hunger being met. It reflects consistency, reassurance and the knowledge that food will be there.
For families, the impact extends beyond individual meals and into the home.
“I know a family of seven. They just can’t make ends meet,” said Phyllis Platt, a chef for the program. “They tell us all the time how much this impacts their house.”
With support from No Kid Hungry, Troup County has expanded its summer meal program, investing in tools like refrigerated trucks and storage to extend its reach and serve more families across the community. These investments have made it possible to go beyond traditional models and build a system that actively reaches children where they are, rather than waiting for families to come forward.
In communities like Troup County, the difference isn’t just whether meals are available. It’s whether they reach the children who need them.
With continued investment, programs like these can keep expanding that reach, helping ensure that fewer children are left unseen and that more families have consistent access to the food they need throughout the summer.
