SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAM
Providing healthy meals to our local students in need.
When schools closed in April, students who rely on the county meal programs were no longer receiving their breakfasts and lunches. This is a big deal for families who struggle to afford the extra meals to feed their children.
These were two issues important to Mike and Cristy Thomas, of Roswell, who came up with a great idea. Mike is a local restaurateur and owner of Mike Thomas Group, a restaurant marketing and consulting agency. His wife Cristy is a kindergarten special needs teacher at Esther Jackson Elementary in Roswell. Combining their skill sets they came up with an idea that addressed two very important concerns. The community would buy a school meal gift card at participating restaurants generating much-needed revenue and feed students without access to school lunches. In just two days after schools shut down, Mike and Cristy launched The School Meals Program.
It was simple, really. Customers buy gift cards from participating restaurants and donate the value to a school meal distribution program. The participating restaurants prepare healthy meals based on the amount of gift cards purchased. Volunteers pick up the meals and distribute them to the students in need. The SMP currently serves eight local schools.
Help Your Community!
Many children count on school lunches to eat. Talk of the Town is cooking lunches and delivering them to kids in need.
You can help our cause by purchasing meals for kids here!
Now continuing to provide meals over the summer!
“In the beginning, when we learned students were not going back to school, it was our goal to give meals to students in need until the end of the school year,” explains Mike Thomas, co-founder of the School Meal Program. “I am so proud to say, thanks to the enormous support from our community and our generous restaurant partners, we did it! I was amazed by the outpouring of generosity and although it was our plan originally to finish the end of May, when school was to let out. But because of the requests by restaurants and families, we are very proud to announce the program will continue!”
