How the former Astros owner wants to feed 5M meals to kids a week

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Former Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane is partnering with Baylor University and others to provide meals to children who would otherwise go without.

Last summer, McLane Global started the Emergency Meals-to-You program to help reach young children living in low-income rural communities. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the company had to increase its operation.

"There is no area of the world that is not touched by this problem," McLane, who is the company's CEO, said. "This is getting the food boxes to young school children in the area that they live. The boxes are delivered direct to them two weeks on schedule."

The program's goal was to box 1 million meals a week. It had already delivered 3.3 million meal kits.

On Wednesday, U.S. Agriculture Sec. Sonny Perdue announced a major expansion to the program, increasing the funding and extending the program to the end of June.

Now, the Meals-to-You goal is to ship out 5 million meal kits a week to school districts in 35 states and Puerto Rico.

In each kit, there is enough food for two weeks.

Steve Hyden, superintendent of Jasper ISD, said 2,400 students rely on their school district for food.

"It's problematic in our population to get food to their kids," Hyden said.

He applied for the program through Baylor University, and now, Jasper ISD is on the list of school districts to receive these kits.

"That we're able to give them some relief on this basic need so they can take care of themselves otherwise without this worry," Hyden said.

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