Schools closing for COVID-19 have caused numerous challenges for administrators and families alike. One such challenge is students who relied on the school for breakfast and lunch. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools are combatting this through daily meal distribution led by 300+ district members and community volunteers.
Over 29 percent of students in CHCCS get free or reduced-price lunches, according to PORCH, a local hunger relief program. These students’ needs are currently being met through two preparation and 35 distribution sites, serving upwards of 2,000 children daily. For the first three weeks of implementation, the food was carried to the sites in neighborhoods on school buses, which provided a common sight for many families.
“[The buses are] valuable for many reasons. One, the bus drivers know the routes in the neighborhoods and the students,” said Jeff Nash, Director of Community Relations for CHCCS. “Having the big yellow buses brings a lot of legitimacy. And when the kids come out and they see their favorite bus driver and they recognize the school bus… you know it’s from the school district, it’s safe. It just brings a lot of credibility to the program.”
However, due to the positive COVID-19 testing of multiple staff members, none of whom were involved with food preparation, the system has changed. Instead of using buses to deliver the meals to the 35 distribution spots, volunteers are instead picking the meals up at the two preparation sites and taking it directly to those spots. This is just one step that CHCCS is taking to decrease the amount of potential transmitters.
They are also decreasing the risk of the virus through maintaining social distancing, for the safety of families and staff alike. These distribution measures follow all CDC guidelines, including wearing masks and gloves, regular sanitization and having all staff and students stand six feet apart.
In the neighboring county, a food distributor for Durham Public Schools tested positive for COVID-19 and the program was shut down. It is still continuing in CHCCS, although they are making frequent modifications to a constantly changing situation.
The program is committed to giving any student who needs it a breakfast, lunch and a snack. While it was designed initially for those on free or reduced-price lunches, meals are being given regardless of if the student would usually qualify. All of these meals are being reimbursed by the government just like they are for breakfast or lunch at school. However, snacks are being sustained through private donations.
“It costs us $1 a day to provide the snack, which doesn’t seem like much, except we’re serving 2,000 kids a day so you can go through $10,000 in a week on snacks. We’ve been very fortunate to have some private donations coming in to help with that,” said Nash.
Additional pay will be given to school bus drivers and staff who are giving out these meals. No staff is required to be involved with the program, but this is an added incentive for those who choose to.
Ultimately, the priority lies in ensuring that students who need meals are still getting them. Through initiatives led by both the school and faith organizations, a sustainable level of volunteers, food and logistics are currently being met. The first Monday following the cancellation of school, the program delivered around 1,200 meals and has grown in scale since then. It has currently distributed over 100,000 meals and plans to continue doing so until the pandemic is over.
“We made the announcement on Thursday night [to close school]. Friday morning, we had a team of people in the boardroom, ready to help figure out how we’re going to feed all these children,” said Nash. “At 8:30 that morning, right after the announcement these people were all there ready to roll up their sleeves and make it happen.”
Photo courtesy of CHCCS
