-
Staff loads the bus with student meals
During these unprecedented times, students are out of school during the school shutdown because of coronavirus. While students stay home, some parents are not in the same boat, as they still have to go to work. For the families that have children in the Swain County school system and parents who have essential jobs, what are these kids doing about meals throughout the days during the week?
During the week, the school system has decided that as long as schools are closed and supplies last, the buses will be delivering meals, breakfast and lunch, to the school children along the bus routes.
To put in perspective how successful this operation is, Jennifer Brown, Swain Schools nutrition director, said the school system is providing about 2,000 meals a day. This is between bus deliveries and people picking up meals from the cafeterias of Swain East and West Elementary Schools and Swain Middle School.
The Swain County Schools who have their cafeterias open will “be open Monday-Friday for pick up 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Community members can pick up meals for breakfast and lunch at same time and for multiple days if needed and for weekend meals, as well, according to Brown.
The staff and drivers are taking necessary precautions when doing this amazing operation, she noted. The staff is wiping everything down with disinfectant multiple times a day. They are using hand sanitizer multiple times a day.
When accepting a meal from a bus driver, please remember: Do not go on to the bus to pick up the food. Limit the amount of contact, if any, to avoid spreading germs.
If you have a child who rides the school bus to and from school, or is in the school system, and you are looking for a way to feed you child during these hard times, look no further than the Swain County Schools. This operation is exempt from the stay-home order and will be going on until either school opens back up or supplies run out.