LENOIR, NC (February 12, 2021) — Additional funding provided by the USDA for reimbursement of meals now allows the Child Nutrition Department to add dinner meals and snacks to the curbside meal distribution program for children 18 years or younger.
3-Square Meals Food Box Distribution…
“Since last March when the state closed schools in response to the pandemic, we prioritized feeding families and ensuring that students received nutritional meals,” said Superintendent Dr. Don Phipps. “Some families in our community have faced stressful economic conditions and physical, social and emotional hardships during the last 12 months, and our schools will continue to assist with providing food to their children.”
In addition to breakfast and lunch meals in the meal packets distributed to children 18 years and younger at no cost, dinner meals, snacks, and a gallon of milk will now be available to each child in a 3-Square Meals Food Box or package. The distribution sites continue at Hibriten High, South Caldwell High School, and West Caldwell High School on Wednesdays from 11-1 pm and 3:30-5:30 pm.
Middle and high school students as well as any child not attending in-person instruction in grades K-5 may receive the food box, which includes five breakfast and lunch meals, seven dinner meals and snacks, and a gallon of milk. Students in grades K-5 attending in-person schooling or bus riders who take meals home from school are eligible for seven dinner meals, snacks, and a gallon of milk each week.
The official start date for the food box distribution is next Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. All families with children 18 years or younger are invited to participate.