Food bank, district work to feed 325,000 Fort Worth area children after school closures
The Tarrant Area Food Bank and Fort Worth school district are working to get food to children who will be without free lunches after schools were closed across North Texas in response to the coronavirus.
There are 325,000 children who receive free lunch every school day at 440 campuses across Tarrant County, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Fort Worth school district announced Friday morning that schools will remain closed for at least two weeks starting Monday, when children were supposed to return from spring break. The closure could be extended depending on the threat of COVID-19, according to a message posted on the district’s website.
In the Fort Worth school district, 82,000 children qualify for the free lunches. Across the district, 96 schools qualify for a meal service where students are eligible for meals at no cost regardless of financial background.
The district said it asked its vendor and nutrition service workers to find a way to make meals available “to go” to those who most need it.
More information about the to-go meals was expected later Friday and over the weekend. Sodexo Magic, the school’s child nutrition service provider, was not immediately available for comment.
In preparation to the school closures, Tarrant County Area Food Bank increased the amount of food it sends to its 330 distribution partners in the area. But the bank anticipates a shortage in food caused by the rush of shoppers stocking up on food and essentials at local grocery stores, according to food bank president Julie Butner. She said they and their partners are also seeing less volunteers but had not closed any locations as of Friday afternoon.
To help food banks the Texas Department of Agriculture is asking the USDA to approve several waivers, including one that would redirect money from closed schools to local food banks.
One of those waivers, negating the National School Lunch Act requirement that schools serve foods in a group setting, was approved Friday, according to a news release from U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s office.
In January the USDA paid Tarrant County schools more than $125 million in reimbursements for free and reduced lunch and breakfast programs.
Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said school districts and county officials are in discussions on how to continue to provided needed services to children if schools remained closed for weeks. Bus drivers might be asked to deliver meals to households on the free or reduced lunch program. Programs that provide meals over the summer may also be activated, Whitley said.
Superintendent Kent P. Scribner said in a news release on Saturday that the district’s Child Nutrition Services Department and their vendor SODEXO will provide healthy “to-go” lunches from food trucks from Monday-Friday at eight district schools.
The district provided a list of the schools and when the meals will be available:
- Meals will be available from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Springdale Elementary School at 3207 Hollis St.
- Meals will be available from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Manual Jara Elementary School at 2100 Lincoln Ave.
- Meals will be available from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Western Hills Elementary School at 2805 Laredo Drive.
- Meals will be available from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Hubbard Heights Elementary School at 1333 W. Spurgeon St.
- Meals will be available from 10 to 11:30 am. at Paul L. Dunbar High School at 5700 Raey Ave.
- Meals will be available from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Eastern Hills High School at 5701 Shelton St.
- Meals will be available from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Clifford Davis Elementary School at 4300 Campus Drive.
- Meals will be available from noon to 1:30 p.m. at De Zavala Elementary School at 1419 College Ave.
The message from the superintendent doesn’t mention if students collecting the meals have to provide any proof they’re enrolled in the district.
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 2:50 PM.
