Alongside doctors, nurses, and other essential personnel, school nutrition professionals have emerged as local heroes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Day after day, they arrived in parking lots, shuttered schools, and makeshift distribution centers to serve healthy food to thousands of students and families. These heroes have been hard at work here in our Midcoast Maine region.
In Brunswick, school bus drivers drove to 10 different delivery sites three days a week to hand out meals. RSU1 had eight sites, and it operated at least one site each weekday to ensure students had access to healthful, nutritive food. Meanwhile, nutrition professionals at SAD 75 adapted their program to meet the needs of students in the rural district. At the onset of the pandemic, they applied for a waiver to be able to provide meals to all children under 18 in the district. They provided enough food to feed each child for a seven-day period.
Every day, these professionals work tirelessly to prepare meals that are healthy, balanced, and appealing to students, such as easy-to-eat sliced fruits and a variety of vegetables. The Department of Education runs several programs, including Farm and Sea to School, Local Foods to Local Schools, and Maine Harvest Lunch Week, dedicated to making innovative use of local, seasonal ingredients. These creative programs help contribute to nutritious school meals while engaging students in fun, healthy, food-related activities and supporting local food producers.
Due to the economic impact of COVID-19, many families need access to these healthy meals now more than ever. School nutrition programs across the state are working hard to support kids and families through this time. Thank you to all school nutrition staff for their dedication to students and families all year long, especially during uncertain times like these.
For more information about where to pick up free school meals, please contact your local school department. For information on where to find summer meals, visit www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks, call 2-1-1, or text SummerMeals to 97779.
The 5-2-1-0 Let's Go! Team is very grateful to all our local school nutrition professionals. For more information about Mid Coast Hospital's 5-2-1-0 Let's Go! program, please contact Jessie Chalmers.
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