CITIZEN STAFF REPORT

WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Students in Mingo County will once again receive free breakfast and lunch at school this year through the Community Eligibility Provision, a federal program designed to address hunger in high-poverty areas.

The initiative, now in its fourth year in the county, comes under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and enables schools to provide meals to all students at no cost. Instead of requiring families to submit applications for free or reduced-price meals, the program bases eligibility on direct certification rates — if at least a quarter of students at a school qualify for free meals through other assistance programs, the entire school qualifies.

Dr. Joetta Basile, superintendent of Mingo County Schools, said the program continues to fill a critical need.

“I am proud that Mingo County Schools will be participating in the CEP program to help meet a crucial need for many students in our county,” she said. “We know academic achievement increases when our students are well-fed and ready to learn, and we must provide secure and reliable access to nutritious meals so all students have a chance to achieve at the highest level possible.”

Officials said all nine schools in Mingo County will participate this year, feeding nearly 3,350 students daily.

The program arrives amid persistently high rates of food insecurity. According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap data, more than 14% of West Virginians — including more than 79,000 children — live in food-insecure households.

For details, residents may contact the Mingo County Child Nutrition Office at (304) 235-7142.