Program serves over 115,000 meals

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  • From left, White County School Superintendent Dr. Laurie Burkett, Director of School Improvement Cindy Free, White County Middle School Assistant Principal Lloyd Collins, WCMS school nutrition manager Linda Parker, and Rita Payne with school nutrition packed meals for the first day of pick-up at White County Middle School on March 16. (Photo/Stephanie Hill)
    From left, White County School Superintendent Dr. Laurie Burkett, Director of School Improvement Cindy Free, White County Middle School Assistant Principal Lloyd Collins, WCMS school nutrition manager Linda Parker, and Rita Payne with school nutrition packed meals for the first day of pick-up at White County Middle School on March 16. (Photo/Stephanie Hill)
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School buildings may have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but White County School Nutrition has remained busy, serving more than 115,000 meals in just over two months.

Meal distribution began Monday, March 16, when White County schools first closed due to the coronavirus, and continued through Friday, May 22, with only a week off for spring break. Deliveries were done at designated sites throughout the county, with a drive-thru also set up at White County Middle School.

With 115,200 total meals given out, White County School Nutrition Director Abby Rowland believes the program went well

“I am extremely proud of my staff,” she said. “We changed from regular school feeding on Friday, March 13, to mobile feeding with sack meals on Monday, March 16. We were able to provide students with a shelf stable breakfast for the next day when we delivered lunch. Our White County transportation staff partnered with us to deliver the meals on several bus routes, so we were able to reach more students. We also experimented with a drive thru meal pick up at our middle school, and that proved to be very successful.”

The idea of activating the feeding program early came about in discussions about schools being closed due to the pandemic, Rowland said.

“I mentioned to [White County School Superintendent] Dr. [Laurie] Burkett we could continue to feed students during an unanticipated school closure by going into the summer feeding mode of the National School Lunch Program,” Rowland said. “This allows us to feed all students free of charge and implement the feeding routes/sites we use during the summer. Dr. Burkett and the entire administrative team have been supporting us 100%. It has truly been a team effort to keep our students fed during this time.”

This mode of feeding is funded the same way the school lunch program is funded throughout the year, Rowland said. The school system is reimbursed through the U.S. Department of Agriculture depending on the number of meals served, and they tried to serve food they had already so they could control their inventory. The school nutrition department also received a $5,000 grant from the Georgia Foundation for Public Education, Innovation Fund Foundation, which helped with additional costs.

“We received it because we are going to continue the same feeding routes throughout the summer,” Rowland said. “There are extra costs associated with bus routes that the USDA does not reimburse, so those funds will help offset some of those extra expenses.”

With the number of meals served, Burkett said she couldn’t be more proud of the school nutrition department.

“What an incredible example of teamwork,” Burkett said. “Feeding over 115,000 meals in two and a half months takes great teams working together with servants’ hearts.”

Summer feeding

The regular summer feeding program kicks into gear on Monday, June 1, after a week break.

“We take a week to restock our summer kitchen and close down all the rest of our kitchens,” Rowland said. “All the feeding sites and times will be posted on our social media and websites. We encourage those who have been participating to continue and we welcome all students to any of our sites. We will continue to provide both a breakfast and a lunch meal in every bag.”

The summer feeding program runs through July 24. There will be no meals July 1-3. The meals are free for children ages 2-18, and there are no adult meals. The lunches also include breakfast for the next morning.

Summer feeding schedule

• Bryant Street Community Center: 11 a.m.

• Kinsey Town Bus Route (includes Dean Mtn., Stovall, Pless Road, Holiness Campground Road, Goat Neck): 11-11:45 a.m.

• Partin Road Bus Route (includes Mobile Home Drive, Mary Ellen, Pines, Oak Ridge, Briarwood Drive and Partin Road): 11:15 a.m.-noon

• Whitehall Commons Apartments: 11:15 a.m.

• Oak Springs Community Center: 11:15 a.m.

• Cleveland City Park: 11:30 a.m.

• Shoal Creek Baptist Church: 11:30 a.m.

• White County Middle School: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

• Lanier Ridge Apartments: 11:45 a.m.

• Brookwood Village: 11:45 a.m.

• White Street: noon

• Helen Library: noon

• 129 South Bus Route (includes Leisure Acres side of Westmoreland Road, Eagle Rock, Wooten Road and Shadow Mountain): 12:10 p.m. to 12:40 p.m.

• Mossy Acres Mobile Home Park: 12:15 p.m.

• Sunny Ridge Apartments: 12:15 p.m.

• Linda’s Convenience Store: 12:15 p.m.

For more information on the summer feeding program, call 706-865-2315 ext. 1703.