Hall County School District will deliver meals to students for two weeks ahead of school opening

Posted 2:00PM on Saturday 8th August 2020 ( 4 years ago )

Even though kids won't be in school physically for at least two weeks, the Hall County School District will start delivering free meals to students on Monday as part of the federal government's "Seamless Summer Option" program.

The free meal delivery is scheduled to run from Aug. 10 through Aug. 21. Meals will be delivered by school bus to children under the age of 18.

Sara Sheridan is the School Nutrition Coordinator for Hall County and she said the program will work the same way it did in the spring when the onset of the coronavirus pandemic forced 100-percent virtual learning for Georgia students.

"We'll be running buses out of all of our schools via the elementary routes, but any student under 18...will be able to pick up a breakfast and lunch at no cost," Sheridan said.

The buses will make their rounds beginning at 8:30 a.m. and take about an hour for deliveries. Meals will be delivered Monday through Thursday, and on Thursday, bus drivers will deliver meals for both Thursday and Friday. Food pick-up options will also be available at some schools.

Sheridan said in the spring, the school district provided meals for approximately 11,000 students each day - totaling just under one million meals. She said she's planning on the same numbers for the next two weeks, although she said she will change the offerings up a little bit and have some hot-meals entrees for the kids.

"I'm sure the kids are probably getting tired of cold sandwiches, so my hope is to send some hot wraps, chicken sandwiches, some hamburgers with some cold fruit and vegetable sides," Sheridan said.

Cheryl Jones, the Director of School Nutrition for the district, said the meal service has been a big benefit for many families, especially those who have lost jobs during the ongoing pandemic. She said parents all over the county have expressed thanks for the service.

"A lot of families have been impacted by COVID-19, a lot of our families have lost jobs," Jones said. "I think if you can't feed your community, then what does that say about us as a society?"

Jones said her staff also has been ironing out details on how to best provide meals to students once school begins on Aug. 24. In-person students will have the option of taking meals to the classroom to maintain social distance from others. Virtual learners will also be able to participate in the school meal program.

"We're also working on a way for households to order meals for the virtual learners," Jones said, noting that they will test the ordering option in the next couple of weeks prior to the start of school. She said Cobb County has used the same program with success.

For more information on the Hall County School Nutrition department, follow this link.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2020/8/927509/hall-county-school-district-will-deliver-meals-to-students-for-two-weeks-ahead-of-school-opening