How a Rural Health Department Served 68,600 Meals in 7 Weeks

The Rural Summer Food Challenge

In Pontiac, Illinois, a rural community two hours south of Chicago, summer brought a familiar problem: when school ended, so did reliable access to nutritious meals for children. At the Livingston County Health Department, Health Educator and Marketing Director Chrystal Little saw the gap every year. Pontiac had one option, a closed-enrollment Boys and Girls Club that required daily on-site dining. For most families, that meant no summer food assistance at all.

"We live in a really rural area with programs in place, but transportation is a big issue because we are so rural. We just wanted to be able to do something positive for families throughout the summer that was helpful."

Chrystal Little

Health Educator and Marketing Director

This challenge isn't unique to Pontiac. Across rural America, traditional summer feeding programs fail to reach the families who need them most. Daily transportation requirements create barriers for parents juggling work, limited vehicles, and long drives that can stretch across entire counties.

The Partnership That Solved It

Through outreach from the Illinois State Board of Education, Chrystal connected with the Ujima Hunger Coalition and discovered a new approach. Instead of requiring daily visits, the USDA’s SUN Meals To-Go program allows families to pick up a full week of meals in a single stop — seven breakfasts, seven lunches, and shelf-stable milk per child. Responsibilities divided naturally. Ujima handled compliance, USDA requirements, food procurement, and logistics. The Health Department contributed space, community connections, and operational support. “The Health Department was a fantastic partner,” said Brian Wieher, Ujima’s Executive Director. “They had the resources, they followed the rules, and most importantly, they wanted to serve their community. That combination made it work.” Despite learning about the program late and waiting on approvals, the rollout came quickly. “It was like, boom, we put it out there and we had to go,” Chrystal said.

Making It Work

The Health Department’s barn-like facility proved ideal. With doors on both ends, cars could drive straight through. No family waited more than eight minutes all summer. Weekly pickup replaced the burden of daily trips, with two windows — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. — designed for different work schedules.

Most importantly, it worked for families. “We had a couple people who were so moved by the program that they were expressing their gratitude in tears about how it made such a big difference to their family,” Chrystal said.

The Results

Seven Weeks of Impact (June 23 – August 4):

• 68,600 meals distributed
• 1,200+ children registered
• Served families across the 4th-largest county in Illinois
• Zero operational disruptions
• Reached high-poverty areas that had no summer programs before

The Community Embrace

Instead of struggling to find volunteers — often the hardest part of launching a new initiative — Chrystal saw the opposite. “I did not struggle to get volunteers once throughout the whole summer.”

"You don't know how much this means to our family. This has made a huge difference. I was able to go buy more fresh fruits and vegetables this month."

Program Participant

The work energized people. One retired volunteer told her after the final distribution: “I really love this, seeing the kids and just being able to do something positive in my community. Please reach out to me again because I just really loved being a part of this.”

Why This Matters

Livingston County proved that non-congregate service can reach families traditional programs miss. A single weekly pickup removed transportation barriers and fit real work lives. With Ujima managing compliance and logistics, the Health Department could focus on families.

For state agencies and funders, the lesson is clear: high reach, low burden for local partners, and proven ability to serve communities that had gone unserved before.

"The value is that we were able to take care of our youngest community members, and by setting that example for them now, hopefully that will stick with them later in life."

Chrystal Little

Looking Ahead

The Health Department plans to start earlier next summer and extend outreach to more of the county's outlying communities.

Chrystal’s advice to other communities is simple:

"Do it. Definitely do it. Reach out to other programs that currently exist for ideas and suggestions."

Chrystal Little