K.J. Ricasta (right), Maximillian, 6, and Luna, 2, inspect their meals distributed by Richmond Public Schools.
It’s not often that the humble school lunch gets much attention.
But in the wake of the coronavirus, school lunch programs have re-created themselves as a way for school systems to connect with their students and communities, providing a lifeline to vulnerable populations and often bringing out the best in school employees and community volunteers.
“I can’t imagine that anyone would not remember this,” says Dana Whitney, director of school nutrition services in Henrico County, praising the efforts of county employees who’ve worked long hours to ensure that the feeding program is successful.
“I think any one of us is working more than just five days a week,” she says, “but it’s just whenever duty calls.”
Although Henrico is a prosperous county, having the second highest number of jobs of any Virginia locality, 46% of its 50,000 students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.
In many communities, the faces of familiar cafeteria workers are a balm for students shaken by the pandemic. Whitney says she has seen the faces of students light up when they recognize cafeteria personnel from their schools. “That was inspiring to see,” she says.
Hanover County staffed its meal sites with volunteers from March 18 through April 10, until cafeteria personnel were activated on April 13, in response to increased demand and the need to produce more meals, according to Chris Whitley, public information officer for Hanover Public Schools.
“Our volunteers were a tremendous help, and we are grateful for their selfless service,” Whitley says.
One of those volunteers was Kyle Holden of Mechanicsville, a real estate agent for Hometown Realty. “It was a blessing to see the smiling faces of the kids and know that I was part of a good thing that caused those smiles,” he says. Holden’s wife, Ilene, who is a teacher in the system, also volunteered.
In his two sons, aged 12 and 18, Holden has seen firsthand the effect the abbreviated school year and the pandemic have had on students. Instead of remembering the senior prom and the excitement surrounding high school graduation, Holden says his oldest son, Kyle Jr., a high school senior, is going to remember the quarantine. “We all are,” Holden says. “It’s tough on families.”
In Chesterfield County, a small army of 300 staff members prepares and delivers food at nearly 60 sites. “These individuals truly are superheroes on the front line,” says Tim Bullis, executive director of communications and community engagement for the school system.
After first serving only breakfast and lunch, Chesterfield officials recently were approved by the federal government to serve a snack and dinner at many sites, Bullis says.
Jovan Henderson (left), crew chief at Linwood Holton Elementary School, and Sonny Randolph, an RPS bus driver, coordinate food drop-offs.
“We’ve also expanded distribution sites into the community and closer to neighborhoods, making it easier for families to access,” he adds. “In doing so, our transportation department has assisted with food deliveries.”
For one new elementary school principal in Richmond, the emergency school feeding effort has opened a window on her school community.
Tanaia Hines, principal of Bellevue Elementary School, has been riding buses delivering meals to housing complexes and other sites in Bellevue’s attendance zone, walking between stops to get exercise and a ground view of her school community.
Her first day on a bus delivering meals was “joyful,” Hines says.
“I got a chance to see some of my families out there, and that one experience just got me coming back every day, just to connect with them,” she says. “When my families come up, I’m meeting parents I usually don’t see during the school year and having a chance to introduce myself to them.”
Hines, who was an assistant principal in Norfolk for five years before accepting a job in Richmond in 2019, has even picked up groceries for some parents who can’t get out themselves.
She also has helped connect families to social services organizations and has even returned to a teacher’s role in communities where students are struggling.
With job losses as well as unexpected expenses, even her “middle-class” families are finding it hard to sustain themselves, she says.
Hines says that Cheryl Burke, who represents her area as the 7th District member on the Richmond School Board, and is a former principal herself at Chimborazo Elementary School, has worked hard during the pandemic to help local families, even delivering groceries to them.
So has the pandemic and her plunge into the workings of her community through the school system’s emergency feeding program been an eye-opener?
“Oh, yes,” Hines says.
The emergency effort, as well as the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, all fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
With lingering uncertainty about when schools will reopen, it’s unclear when the expanded emergency feeding program will end.
Bellevue Elementary School Principal Tanaia Hines delivers food in Fulton Hill.
What’s for Lunch?
Schools are generally operating under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “summer food service program” (SFSP), which typically begins at the end of the normal school year. School systems are reimbursed for each meal.
A sample menu lists everything from yogurt to dry beans; a turkey, ham and cheese sandwich; and an egg and a biscuit, fruit and nonfat milk. fns.usda.gov/sfsp/meal-patterns
Chesterfield County Public Schools
(63,000 students)
• Rising number of meals distributed each week, from 14,140 in week one to 106,035 in week six. Through late April, more than 350,000 meals had been given out.
• Meal distribution has moved from five days a week to three times weekly: On Mondays and Wednesdays, two days’ worth of meals are provided to each child. On Fridays, three days’ worth of meals are provided to each child.
• Hard copies of instructional packets, for those who cannot access information online, are distributed by school administrative teams on Tuesdays so as not to interfere with food distribution.
Hanover County Public Schools
(17,500 students)
• Averaging about 1,300 meals a day, but counts have been rising weekly.
• A registered nurse reports to each site daily to ensure no one has an elevated temperature or signs of illness. No-touch service is used as an added precaution to eliminate hand-to-hand contact.
• The meals (breakfasts and lunches) are distributed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Additional meals are provided to eat at home during the weekend.
Henrico County Public Schools
(50,000 students)
• More than 5,000 meals, on average, are being served daily, including meals destined for weekend consumption at home.
• Meals are distributed five days a week, Monday through Friday. Lunches are designed for that day’s consumption, and shelf-stable breakfasts are provided for the next day.
• Parents do not need to bring children to the site. Anyone in the Henrico community 18 and under is eligible to receive a meal — you do not need to prove you are a student.
Richmond Public Schools
(24,000 students)
• Approximately 14,000 meals, on average, are distributed daily; meals distributed for weekend consumption at home are included in the daily average. Through late April, more than a quarter of a million meals had been handed out.
• Approximately 14 buses are mobilized on the days meals are distributed. The buses make about 45 stops delivering meals and academic packets. There are also 10 school sites providing grab-and-go meals. At some sites, personal hygiene products, including diapers, are available.
• Donations have included $1,000 worth of $20 gift cards from Food Lion to families in the area of Armstrong High School.
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