Despite school closures, students and families are able to pick up free meals this week in a number of districts, including Chesterfield County.
On Monday, Monica Rudd picked up breakfast and lunch for her three kids. The menu: pastries for breakfast, ham and cheese sandwiches and fruit for lunch.
“Well I have children that like to eat. So, I’m very grateful that they’re doing this for the children because it helps me out a lot," Rudd said.
Reams Run Elementary cafeteria manager Brenda Malonley says children are allowed one breakfast and one bagged lunch per day.
“Each day it’s one of each, they’ll come by between 11 and 12, we’ll give them a lunch for the day and breakfast for the next morning. And then they can come back the next day and do the same thing," Malonley said.
Chesterfield currently has over 40 school pick-up locations, as well as some kiosks at some apartment complexes and mobile home communities. County officials told VPM that they distributed over 4000 meals in their first two days.
VPM reporters Megan Pauly and Ian Stewart discussed food distribution efforts - and some of the challenges schools face, due to USDA guidelines that mandate meals only go to parents with physically present children - yesterday.
