Districts offer meal pick-up
Local school districts are continuing to offer food for students, even while distance learning is in place.
“During the school year, many students receive the bulk of their nutrition from school meals,” said Chelsey Slattery, director of child nutrition, purchasing and warehouse services for Yuba City Unified School District. “Now more than ever, we know that many of our students are relying heavily on nutritional meals from their local school districts.”
Nick Dramis, supervisor of culinary operations for Marysville Joint Unified School District, said
while food is a necessity, providing meals also provides normalcy for students.
“For the school year, it adds an element of normalcy, the day is regimented (with going to class and lunchtime) but right now their classes are all over the place,” Dramis said.
Several districts even offered meal services during the summer.
Slattery said YCUSD served a total of 210,784 meals between the months of June and August – a
442 percent increase in participation compared to the number of meals served last summer.
“We attribute the increase in participation to many things, but mostly due to the need and the flexibility for non-congregated feeding that was provided by the California Department of Education,” Slattery said. “Additionally, the YCUSD nutrition services department had some really great partners we collaborated with over the summer for special drive-through events.”
Dramis said MJUSD also saw an increase in participation during their summer meal program.
“A lot had to do with ... coming off the emergency feeding so everyone was used to coming out and getting meals,” Dramis said.
Both districts are continuing their participation in the Community Eligibility Provision program – which means all students eat for free during the school year.
“At YCUSD, we are dedicated to making sure that kids still have access to health meals during distance learning, which is why we have expanded our meal service sites from seven to 15 sites and also added a snack and supper to the daily distribution,” Slattery said.
Dramis said MJUSD has also added a snack and supper to the daily distribution – he said there are also plans in the coming weeks to start giving out food for the weekend.
Slattery said meal service during distance learning is only available for students enrolled in the Yuba City Unified School District – parents will be asked where their student attends school but identification is not required for pre-k through 12th-grade students.
Students don’t need to be present when parents pick up their meals.
Meal service began on Wednesday.
Lunch, snack, supper and breakfast will be distributed together in a drive-through and walk-up service – families who drive through are asked to stay in their car and staff will place meals on a cart, and families who walk up will be asked to stay on the opposite side of the cart and staff will place their meals on the cart. When staff are six feet away, they will let families know that they can take their meals from the cart, Slattery said.
On Fridays, two snacks and two suppers will be sent home for the weekend.
Food service will operate Monday through Friday at the following sites:
– Gray Avenue Middle School from noon-1 p.m.
– River Valley High School from noon-1 p.m.
– Yuba City High School from noon-1 p.m.
– Andros Karperos Middle School from 12:301:30 p.m.
– April Lane Elementary School from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
– Barry Elementary School from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
– Bridge Street Elementary School from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
– King Avenue Elementary School from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
– Lincoln Elementary School from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
– Lincrest Elementary School from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
– Riverbend Elementary School from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
– Butte Vista Elementary School from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
– Park Avenue Elementary School from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
– Tierra Buena Elementary School from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
– Bernard Children’s Center from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Dramis said meal service, which began on Wednesday, is only available for students enrolled in MJUSD
– meal punch cards, which are being mailed to households, will be required to pick up meals.
If a family hasn’t received their punch card yet, they are asked to bring some other proof of enrollment – such as a student ID card or parent portal letter. Dramis said they will be able to pick up meals this way for the first couple of weeks and then punch cards will be required.
Students will only be able to visit one school and receive one meal kit per child per day – parents/ guardians can pick up meals with or without their student present.
Meals are required to be consumed off site – it’s asked that people remain in their vehicle during pick up or, if walking, leave campus once meals have been received.
Meals include a hot lunch, supper, a snack for later in the day and breakfast for the next morning.
The following are sites where meals can be picked up Monday through Friday:
– Arboga Elementary School from 12:30-1:15 p.m.
– Browns Valley Elementary School from 12:30-1:15 p.m.
– Cordua Elementary School from 12:30-1:15 p.m.
– Covillaud Elementary School from 12:30-1:15 p.m.
– Dobbins Elementary School from 12:30-1:15 p.m.
– Foothill Intermediate School from 12:30-1:15 p.m.
– Johnson Park Elementary School from 12:30-1:15 p.m.
– Lindhurst High School from 12:30-1:15 p.m.
– Marysville High School from 12:30-1:15 p.m.
– Yuba Feather Elementary School from 12:30-1:15 p.m.
– Yuba Gardens
Elementary School from 12:30-1:15 p.m.
– Cedar Lane Elementary School from 12:15-1:15 p.m.
– Edgewater Elementary School from 12:15-1:15 p.m.
– Ella Elementary School from 12:15-1:15 p.m.
– Kynoch Elementary School from 12:15-1:15 p.m.
– Linda Elementary School from 12:15-1:15 p.m.
– Olivehurst Elementary School from 12:15-1:15 p.m.
For more information, visit www.mjusdnutrition. com/.
Leasa Hill, student nutrition director for
Live Oak Unified School District, said the district is offering free meals for students through the Community Eligibility Provision.
Meal pick-up services began Wednesday.
The district will be having meal pickups for families on Mondays and Wednesdays (excluding holidays) – there is also a Saturday pick-up option for those who can’t make it to the Monday and Wednesday option.
On Mondays, two days’ worth of meals will be distributed and on Wednesdays three days’ worth of meals will be given out from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Luther Elementary School and Live Oak High School.
Hill said they will be giving families a barcode to identify students which will be scanned when meals are picked up – at first, students will be identified by name.
Those who are enrolled in LOUSD schools and have not already received meals at the Monday or Wednesday pick-up can pick up five days’ worth of meals on Saturdays from 8-10 a.m. at Live Oak High School.
This option is meant to be an alternative for those who can’t make it to the pick ups during the week due to work or other circumstances.