Metro Atlanta schools have moved to an online-learning format for the next few weeks to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Some students, however, rely on free school meals. So, most districts have set up “grab and go” sites where families can get free food while school campuses are closed.
At Tri-Cities High School in south Fulton County, parents don’t have to get out of their cars to get meals. They can pull up drive-thru style to receive their food or they can walk with their students to school.
A few miles away at Atlanta’s Sylvan Hills Middle School, students can pick up a bag with breakfast and lunch in it. Atlanta Public Schools also partnered with the group Goodr to offer families an extra bag of fruits and vegetables.
Admittedly, some kids weren’t picky.
“I don’t know what’s in [my bag],” said a third-grader named Elijah. He seemed pleased nonetheless.
While they appeared to be grateful for the food, some kids weren’t rejoicing to be off campus.
“I don’t like it because then it takes away from our summer,” said Leondra, an eighth-grader at The Kindezi School. “So, it kind of messes everything up for our graduation and stuff.”
Leondra’s sister Zion, a seventh-grader, had a slightly different take.
“I don’t mind being out of school because we’re still learning and stuff,” she said. “But I just don’t like the reason we’re out of school because the coronavirus is really scary.”
Most districts plan to offer meals on weekdays for the next two weeks. Starting next week, school systems like Atlanta Public Schools and the DeKalb County School District will also offer families a week’s supply of groceries.
APS announced it will open five more meal sites and will begin delivering food on some of the district’s middle school bus routes starting Wednesday. The district says after daily meal distribution, any extra food will be delivered to APS communities.
Additional sites and bus route details are here https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/coronavirus
A note of disclosure: The Atlanta Board of Education holds WABE’s broadcast license. Sylvan Hills Middle School is in APS.
Check meal sites for your school district below:
Atlanta Public Schools: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hpQ2DP-MOyTzwQRlZW8iHKCxGz7u7JMx/view
Buford City Schools: https://tinyurl.com/tlkk6q4
Cherokee: https://www.mustministries.org/cherokee-co
Clayton: https://www.clayton.k12.ga.us/
Cobb: http://cobbcast.cobbk12.org/?p=32111
DeKalb: https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/
Forsyth: https://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/
Fulton: https://www.fultonschools.org/
Gwinnett: http://publish.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/gcps/home/public/about/content/covid-19/school-meals
Rockdale: https://tinyurl.com/suffu62
