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Southside Elementary employee Marjorie Smith helps the family grab bags of Brighter bites products.

Southside principal Gerry Lynn McNeil bags fruit on the first day of school distribution as the school’s Brighter Bites.

Volunteer Verna Gutierrez is sorting fresh peppers that will be distributed to Southside elementary families through Brighter Bites, a national organization that provides fresh produce to families.

Bright Bites program Coordinator Jonathan Gerescher hands out Bright Bites stickers To Southside elementary students during the program’s grocery distribution.

Southside Elementary employee Marjorie Smith helps the family grab bags of Brighter bites products.

Southside principal Gerry Lynn McNeil bags fruit on the first day of school distribution as the school’s Brighter Bites.

Volunteer Verna Gutierrez is sorting fresh peppers that will be distributed to Southside elementary families through Brighter Bites, a national organization that provides fresh produce to families.

Bright Bites program Coordinator Jonathan Gerescher hands out Bright Bites stickers To Southside elementary students during the program’s grocery distribution.

ANGLETON-modest brown paper bags Southside Elementary families dragged to their cars last week contained a rainbow of fresh fruits and vegetables to brighten up their home cooked meals.

Inside the bags were fresh grapes, peppers, oranges, bananas, carrots, apples, zucchini, plums and recipe cards to spark inspiration from Brighter Bites, a national organization that aims to help families access nutritious, fresh foods they may not otherwise be able to buy or get.

Last week was the first distribution day for Southside since becoming the official website for Brighter Bites. It is the only Angleton ISD school currently part of the program. Volunteers prepared 125 bags and each made it to someone’s home, Southside Director Jerry Lynn McNeil said.

McNeil said the partnership with Brighter Bites is just another way for the school to work to make sure students ‘ needs are met so they are ready to learn every day.

“When students are hungry, they can’t focus on learning; That’s why we moved to Breakfast in class to make sure every student ate Breakfast, and we’re partnering with the Brazoria County Dream Center and Friends program to make sure our students have food last weekend,” she said. “Bright bites gives us the opportunity to provide all our families with fresh food and make sure our children eat healthy and nutritious meals at home so they are ready for the day when they come to school.”

Southside was accepted into the program because more than 80 percent of the school’s students are labeled as economically disadvantaged, but everyone can sign up to get fruit and vegetable Brighter Bites.

The organization will deliver food every week for eight weeks in the spring, summer and fall and gives families two bags of fresh food each time – enough for two servings of fruit and vegetables a day for a family of four for one week.

The group also provides recipe cards and feedback sheets on various cooking methods and asks that partner schools teach students about the products they will receive. McNeil said the students enjoyed the production activities and it made them more excited to try the food being sent home.

“It makes them talk about fruits and vegetables that they might not normally see or eat at home and helps reinforce good eating habits,” she said. “Once they see it at school, they are more likely to try it again at home.”

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