MANCHESTER, Tenn. (WTVF) — Every day in the city of Manchester a few pounds of perfectly edible food gets thrown out in school cafeterias, but a new program is trying to change that.
This school year, officials of Manchester City Schools have begun a new "Food Share Cart," program.
It's a simple concept: during each lunch period a small cart is put out in the cafeteria. Kids can put unwanted items they've purchased on the cart so that other kids who might be hungry get to take the items and eat them. Everything from apple slices, to breakfast bars, to milk ends up on the cart.
"We can't let kids take food out of the cafeteria so we needed to find way in the cafeteria to utilize food better," said Dana Morris, Director of Nutrition for Manchester City Schools.
More than 1,400 kids are fed across Manchester City Schools each day - 50% of them receive free or reduced lunch.
While many get food here at school they often go hungry at home, the new program is also aimed at helping that problem.
"If you’re extra hungry and didn’t get supper, when it’s breakfast and there’s extra milk here it’s yours if you want."
