SCV Food Services Agency continues providing meals

For the school year, kids can get breakfast, lunch at their school

Santa Clarita Valley Food Services Agency officials, who collaborate with four local school districts, will continue to provide breakfast and lunch to students during virtual learning, the organization said recently.

Robert Lewis, the chief operating officer for the food services agency, said that although students at all 38 of the schools the agency serves food to would be working from home, the agency was working to provide them with meals.

“Hungry children can’t learn,” said Lewis.

The program had been handing out sack meals to students since the onset of the pandemic, from March to August.

For the school year, using a drive-thru system at the child’s respective school, families can pick up a sack lunch and a frozen breakfast that comes with instructions.

The program is taking place at the home schools from noon to 1 p.m.

Those on the free or reduced lunch programs pick up their food in the same way paying parents pick up the meals, leaving nothing to be embarrassed about, Lewis said.

No-cost meals

Additionally, as of this summer, 11 schools within the school districts had been made eligible for a Community Eligibility Provision, or “CEP,” and will be serving their breakfast and lunch at “no cost to the student” this year.

Students must be enrolled at one of the following schools to qualify:

▪ J. Michael McGrath

▪ Newhall Elementary

▪ Old Orchard

▪ Peachland

▪ Wiley Canyon

▪ Rio Vista

▪ Cedarcreek

▪ Canyon Springs

▪ Mint Canyon

▪ Valley View

▪ Leona Cox

All 11 schools that qualify for CEP are Title I schools with 50% of more of their student population on free or reduced lunch programs, Lewis said.

In addition to the new systems already mentioned, Lewis said the agency was pushing toward a goal of going cashless. Parents should come to their schools to pick up meal with their student’s ID number ready, at which time the lunch workers will be able to log the pickup in the students’ accounts in the computer system.

For more information about the menu being offered by the food services agency to the students in the Saugus Union School District, the Sulphur Springs Union School District, the Newhall School District and/or the Castaic Union School District, visit https://www. schooldaycafe.org/.

Signal file photo During the summer break, School Day Cafe provided free lunches to families at drive-thru stands set up in front of their Valencia offices. Now that the school year has begun, students can pick up breakfast and lunch at their schools.