Nearly half of Indiana’s public school children receive free or reduced price lunches, and schools around the state are doing what they can to keep providing meals despite ongoing school closures. Essential school workers in Brown County are distributing thousands of meals a week.
Brown County High School Principal Matthew Stark is standing on the school’s front steps next to a cooler of bagged food. More than 500 children are handed curbside meals for every day – including weekends.
“We grab them a breakfast and a lunch, so if today is your day, we give you two bags, one for today and one for tomorrow," Stark says. "We also have some students who have somoode backpacks, so there’s some canned food items here that’s also been donated."
Stark says the Literacy Coalition also donated books they’re handing out.
Families register online to pick up at distribution locations, or for homebound deliveries. Food service, custodial, administration, and transportation officials are all part of the grab and go meal program.
Brown County Schools Superintendent Laura Hammack says funding comes from the federal government.
“The feds really had some nice food service arrangements already for any kind of extended closure. So we do it in the summer anyway, it’s called our Summer Servings Program," Hammack says.
Meal distribution is Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
