LENOIR, NC (December 10, 2020) — When the USDA expanded funding and flexibility to ensure that children and youth were provided a food source during this pandemic, the Child Nutrition Department organized a weekly curbside meals program for children 18 years and younger. The school district distributed approximately 1.1 million meals from March to August, and the same level of commitment continues through this school year to provide meals on a regular basis.
All students who are attending school on campus are eligible for free breakfast and lunch meals, and the Child Nutrition Department prepares and distributes free curbside meals each week. For middle and high school students on the hybrid schedule, students enrolled in Caldwell Connect (virtual academy), and any child between birth to 18 years old who is not enrolled in face-to-face instruction in grades K-5, may receive curbside meals. Typically the meal packets consist of five breakfast and five lunch meals for each child.
The meals are distributed on Wednesday from 11-1 pm and 4-6 pm at Hibriten High, South Caldwell High, and West Caldwell High School. Students with extenuating circumstances, who are also school bus riders, may take home meal packets.
As the winter break approaches, the meal distribution schedule will change to reflect the holiday schedule. On Wednesday, December 16 all children 18 years and younger are eligible (regardless of enrollment status) for a 7-day meal packet (7 breakfast and 7 lunch meals) and a gallon of milk per child. The same eligibility applies to recipients on December 30; however the time of distribution changes to 11-2 pm only. The distribution sites continue to be Hibriten High, South Caldwell High and West Caldwell High School.
All families are encouraged to participate in the CCS Curbside Meals program.
The Child Nutrition Department is a self-supporting, enterprise business that is a division of the Caldwell County Schools and partially funded by the federal government (USDA) to support meal and milk service programs for students and children in Caldwell County.
