Districts aim to extend meal program options
Rich Township schools hopeful federal support will last beyond pandemic
In the face of a pandemic that left many students learning from home over the past year, a number of south suburban schools adapted their meal programs to serve the needs of families across their districts.
Among those are Rich Township High School District 227, Southland College Prep, and township-area elementary Districts 159, 162 and 163, which have packed food and milk for families and distributed those necessities in curbside, drive-by events. They started doing so in mid-March 2020, distributing everything from breakfast and lunch to holiday dinners. Together, by Jan. 31, they hit the 1 million meal mark, according to Richard Barry, a communications specialist with Southland College Prep.
District 163 Superintendent Caletha H. White said her district has seen economic hardship and other challenges throughout the pandemic. These programs have undoubtedly helped.
“The meals and nutrition programs have been extremely important to the community,” she said.
But will those distribution programs, which have adapted with the help of federal assistance, remain in place after the pandemic has subsided?
“Hopefully,” White said. “It all depends on opportunity.”
The school districts, which together serve all or parts of Chicago Heights, Country Club Hills, Matteson, Park Forest, Olympia Fields, Richton Park, University Park and Tinley Park, have worked throughout the pandemic to provide students with fresh or prepackaged foods — from sandwiches to salads — to meet the national guidelines.
But doing so has come with a number of changes over the past year. Packing events have to be masked and socially distanced, as do the curbside distribution events and delivery methods. Knowing the financial strain the pandemic has put on many families, the schools extended delivery of food to anyone in need, including homeless families, no questions asked.
District 163, in particular, distributed meals to students and families at “grab and go” events. It also arranged for its food vendors to deliver breakfast and lunch to all families by van to make sure nourishment could reach more families in a time of need, White said.
They offered “drop and go” meals for families without transportation. And a holiday program included 28 meals, which gave people two meals a day for 14 days, plus educational gifts for the youngsters.
But these programs relied heavily upon support. The holiday program, in particular, received
sponsorship funds from VisuCom Graphics, Tria Architecture, Hauser, Izzo, Petrarca, Gleason & Stillman, and Otis Lane. The district intends to build upon relationships it has made during the pandemic to create more opportunities in the future, White said.
An important factor is if the schools continue to get federal support with these programs. Before the pandemic, the Rich Township High School district ran a commissary-style operation, making meals from scratch with food from the United States Department of Agriculture. Those meals included hot entrees, salads, fresh fruits and vegetables, tacos, soup and sandwiches.
In March 2020, the district shifted to a “grab and go” system that offered breakfast and lunch that has been available to anyone up to 18 years old. In August, the USDA extended that opportunity through the end of the year and then again through the end of school this May. District 227 also took care of homeless families and people without transportation by delivering meals.
White said the community has shown appreciation for the programs, but how long they last is not a local call.
“Our current community-based initiatives wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for the waivers that the USDA has implemented for those districts operating the National School Lunch Program or the Summer Food Service Programs,” she said. “We are hopeful that the USDA will approve a continuance of community-based food service programs.”
White said the extension of those federal programs would give the district more flexibility than just who gets the meals. They have developed new strategies to offer families options during the summer food service, rather than expecting them to come to the schools every day to eat, as had been required by the USDA in the past. Now, they can do home delivery and multiday meal packs. White thinks continuing those programs would lead to greater participation going forward.
If this past year has taught them anything, it is that adapting is essential, she said.
“What will stick with us is trying to reach every family,” White said. “What we do know is that we’ll be flexible.”