One of the primary concerns for parents as Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser on March 13 ordered the closure of the county’s schools to step up the fight against the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) was school lunches.

So many children and parents rely on school lunches for nutrition.

Across the United States, millions of students rely on school lunches, more than 20 million of which are distributed for free each day, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

When schools close unexpectedly — during a pandemic, for example — the USDA allows them to provide food to students using programs designed for summer meals, which are often offered at churches, parks and other community sites.

Schools can then be reimbursed by the federal government for the meals they provide, just as they would be during the summer, according to a USDA memorandum issued last year.

The catch, according to the School Nutrition Association, is that the meal distribution sites, including unused schools, must be located in areas where at least half of children come from low-income families.

Coachella Valley Unified School will be distributing “grab & go” meals from the 12 schools listed here during the times specified. There are also 14 additional community locations throughout the region where meals will be distributed. District Transportation will be parking at the community locations for 20 minutes and staff will distribute meals to those present.

CVUSD will have a total of 26 different locations where families can pick up their meals. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Distribution in CVUSD begins Tuesday, March 17.

Desert Sands Unified School District has an emergency food plan which will be put into place on Monday, March 16, 2020. The District will be distributing “grab-and-go” cold school lunches Monday-Friday.

DSUSD’s Grab & Go lunches will be served between 10 a.m. and noon at the following locations:

  • Franklin Elementary
  • Indio High
  • Jackson Elementary
  • Johnson Elementary
  • La Quinta High
  • Paige Middle
  • Palm Desert Charter Middle
  • Shadow Hills High
  • Van Buren Elementary
  • Eisenhower Community Education Center, 83391 Dillon Avenue, Indio

Image Sources

  • School lunch: Shutterstock