As the state’s stay-at-home order continues, local schools continue making sure that students don’t go hungry.
At the Knox Community School Corporation, Treasurer Kasey Clark is helping to coordinate the meal delivery effort. “We’re hoping that our kids stay fed during this time of need,” she says. “We know people are losing their jobs and losing income and things like that, and we just want to make sure all these kids in our county are fed.”
She says the school corporation has been delivering five days worth of food every Monday. This week, the number approached 600 kids from all over Starke County, adding up to almost 3,000 meals. “We had tons of people from our school that came in,” Clark adds. “They drove from different areas. It was teachers. It was parents. It was lunch staff, all kinds of people that drove from all people to come, help deliver, so that was fantastic.”
But Knox Schools’ meal delivery program hasn’t been without some challenges. A bus was involved in an accident while delivering meals shortly after it began. But Clark says school employees are staying safe, and the process is going much more smoothly. “We think we have everything streamlined and have it good to go, as far as routes,” she explains. “We’ve had many people volunteer to help deliver this time, and it took about two hours today, compared to last Monday was about six hours.”
Clark says the meals aren’t being limited to just Knox students, and deliveries are being made to the San Pierre, Hamlet, and Culver areas. The meals continue, even though the school corporation is technically on spring break. Clark says Knox Community Schools will keep delivering meals until school reopens.
Those who’d like lunches delivered but aren’t on the list yet should call 574-772-1600.
