After serving more than seven million free meals throughout the pandemic, the San Francisco Unified School District is winding down its Grab-and-Go food program, with another large-scale effort on the horizon.
Starting at the beginning of the upcoming fall term, schools will offer free meals to all students, regardless of income, in person.
Families arrived outside Gordon J. Lau Elementary in Chinatown on Thursday to grab a week’s worth of breakfast and lunch for their kids, the last meals to be given out under the current program.
Carolyn Doyle helped distribute some of the hundreds of nutrition-filled packages sent out at Thursday’s event. She usually works for the department of elections and was redeployed as a disaster service worker.
"It’s been very satisfying during a very difficult time to provide really concrete services to folks that really need it throughout this pandemic," Doyle told KCBS Radio.
For the next couple of weeks, families who need food are invited to check out a pantry in their neighborhood.
"In addition to pantries where you can get fresh groceries, we also have a delivery program that’s available for any family with children under the age of two," Keeley Hopkins, Communications Manager with the San Francisco-Marin Foodbank, said.
The service is also available for families who have children with disabilities, pregnant women, adults with disabilities, and senior citizens.
Soon SFUSD will shift gears and focus on their upcoming state funded endeavor. When classes return in person on August 16, all students will be able to eat for free, daily, as part of the state’s new universal school meals program.
"It’s going to be something we’re ready and willing to do, and now we’ve been preparing to do," Jennifer LeBarre, executive director of student nutrition services for SFUSD, explained. "We really encourage all of these students to take advantage of these free school meals. Their participation keeps federal and state dollars here in San Francisco and helps to support the meal programs so we can make improvements and expand those meal programs."
For the remaining weeks of summer, families are encouraged to go to visit the SFUSD website to find more resources on how to access meals.
Kathy Novak/KCBS Radio
Kathy Novak/KCBS Radio
Kathy Novak/KCBS Radio
