Since the COVID-19 epidemic has hit the United States, a vast number of school systems have been closed until the threat is over. With the intent of preventing the spread of coronavirus among the younger population, instead of turning these children into disease vectors which could potentially infect older, vulnerable members of society, it is believed that reducing contact among students will significantly mitigate the damage caused by COVID-19. Along with other social distancing and similar disease prevention methods, students are doing their part to help keep the spread of COVID-19 to a minimum. Yet, for some students, shutting down schools means their access to regular meals could be hindered in a huge way.
Poor and Disadvantaged Students Need to Eat
For a lot of students under the age of 19, the breakfast and lunch options they get at school are their only meals of the day. This means that food becomes even more scarce for these students when school is out for a day or two. Extending this to a couple of weeks or more has created a barrier to eating on a regular basis for these students.
The Curbside Meal Pickup Service
To prevent students from having to go days or even weeks without food, many school systems are promoting a curbside pickup service for individuals who have free or reduced lunch benefits. In most counties providing this program, students have multiple places where they can go to pick up breakfast and lunch. The curbside pickup programs will hopefully be able to continue until school is back in session again, providing support for hungry students as things return to normal.
Cold Sandwiches
With the curbside pickup programs in place, the food options may not be restricted to the usual cafeteria food served in most schools. Breakfast usually consists of some kind of fruit, yogurt, cereal, bagels, and more. One of the popular options being served up to students for lunch are cold sandwiches. Instead of regular bread, these sandwiches are often served on Kaiser buns, and they make for a cost-effective lunchtime staple.
What Days Are Curbside Pickups Taking Place?
In general, the curbside pickup programs are running Monday through Friday. Breakfast and Lunch are served at the normal times unless otherwise indicated, so parents should check with their local schools to find out when breakfast and lunch will be made available to their child. It will be important for students who depend on the curbside pickup program to be on time so as not to miss out on being fed.
While the primary goal of the curbside pickup program is aimed at feeding students in need, this is also a great way to help show that the students have the support of their surrounding community. This means that there could be many volunteer jobs open for people who would be interested in helping to make sure students are getting the food they need each day. Anyone interested in volunteering in that capacity should contact a school near them to find out more.