Healthy Summer Lunches Served Daily to Low-Income Children at Hickman Housing Authority

HUD Kentucky Field Office Director Christopher Taylor, Hickman Housing Authority Executive Director Lynn Busby, and children of the Hickman Housing Authority participating in the Kentucky Summer Feeding Program. Photo Credit: Hickman Courier

The Hickman Housing Authority, which is HUD-funded, is one of more than 1,000 sites in Kentucky that serve low-income children healthy breakfasts, lunches, and/or snacks during the summer. The feeding program is completely free of charge to children who are infants to 18 years old and is sponsored by the Kentucky Summer Food Service Program (http://education.ky.gov/federal/scn/pages/summer-food-service-program-(sfsp).aspx), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp/summer-food-service-program). 

HUD Kentucky Field Office Director Christopher Taylor visited the children at the Hickman Housing Authority to see firsthand the benefits of the meal program and the fun activities that are also available each day. Taylor brought Frisbees for the kids to play with to promote physical fitness.

"When you see over 30 children show up to receive lunch every day here at the Hickman Housing Authority you know you have a program that is needed and appreciated," said Taylor. "This might be the only healthy meal that these children get all day and I am overwhelmed with gratitude that our public housing authorities and other housing sites are partners to make this happen."

"When I learned about the program and knew that I could be a host site for providing meals for our kids, I signed up right away," said Housing Authority of Hickman Executive Director Lynn Busby. "It's one of those things that help make what you do every day worthwhile."

Due to the outreach of the HUD Kentucky Office, there has been a 47 percent increase in participation in of those properties that received HUD funding since 2015.

The City of Hickman (http://hickman.cityof.org/index.php), was established in 1834 and has a population of roughly 2,200. Hickman is located in the most western part of Kentucky on the Mississippi River and is about four hours’ drive from Louisville. Kentucky. The Hickman, KY-Dorena, MO Ferry is the last remaining ferry on the Mississippi River and one of the last in the U.S. Hickman is a river town filled with the genuine flavor of Mark Twain's "Mighty Mississippi". In fact, Twain once called Hickman, "The Most Beautiful Town On the Mississippi."

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