Despite schools closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sweetwater Union School District, National School District and Chula Vista Elementary School District are continuing to distribute free meals to students.
Last week, SUHSD gave out meals at schools where at least 50 percent of students are eligible for free and reduced lunch. On Monday, SUHSD pivoted to giving children meals for the week, rather than distributing meals on a daily basis.
So far the district has given out more than 38,000 free meals and on April 1 staff will give out more meals while supplies last. Each child will get four breakfast meals and four lunch meals. No identification is required.
People can pick up meals on April 1 between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at six schools: Chula Vista Middle School, Montgomery Middle School, National CIty Middle School, Southwest Middle School, Hilltop High School and Southwest High School.
“Food security and meal security is really important to our families… whatever we can do to ensure that our students are being fed, we’re going to try to do that,” SUHSD Grants and Communications Director Manuel Rubio said.
According to data collected by the California Department of Education, more than 23,000 SUHSD students qualified for free and reduced lunch during the 2018-2019 school year.
“I think just in general, we know that communities rely on schools for so much more than just daily classroom education,” Rubio said.
The process for meal distribution was organized in a way that still encourages social distancing. Cars can drive up to the meal distribution sites where SUHSD staff have set meals on tables.
Then community members and students can get out of their cars and pick up the meals from the tables. SUHSD staff are equipped with masks and gloves and keep a six foot distance between themselves and community members, according to SUHSD Nutrition Director Eric Span.
For breakfast, students are either being given a concha or a muffin and fruit. For lunch, Span said students get spicy chicken, turkey or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in addition to vegetable sides and milk.
“In crisis, it’s really important that the community come together and support each other,” Span said. “I feel really proud that our district rose to the occasion to serve our community,”
According to Rubio, SUHSD is able to provide meals through a federal meal program funded through the United States Department of Agriculture that is usually utilized during summer.
In April, a week’s worth of meals (breakfast and lunch) will be passed out on Tuesday’s from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m at the following locations:
- Bonita Vista Middle, 650 Otay Lakes Road in Chula Vista
- Castle Park High, 1395 Hilltop Drive in Chula Vista
- Chula Vista Middle, 415 5th Ave. in Chula Vista
- Chula Vista High, 820 4th Ave. in Chula Vista
- Eastlake High, 1120 Eastlake Parkway in Chula Vista
- Granger Jr. High, 2101 Granger Ave. in National City
- Hilltop High, 555 Claire Ave. in Chula Vista
- Mar Vista Academy, 1267 Thermal Ave. in San Diego
- Montgomery Middle, 1051 Picador Blvd. in San Diego
- National City Middle, 1701 D Ave. in National City
- Otay Ranch High, 1250 Olympic Parkway in Chula Vista
- San Ysidro High, 5353 Airway Road in San Diego
- Southwest Middle, 2710 Iris Ave. in San Diego
- Sweetwater High, 2900 Highland Ave. in National City
Chula Vista Elementary School District is continuing to give out meals Monday through Friday beginning at 10 a.m. until supplies run out. Students who are receiving meals need to be physically present. A breakfast and a lunch meal will be provided at the following:
• Feaster Charter School, 670 Flower St. in Chula Vista
• Harborside Elementary School, 681 Naples St. in Chula Vista
• Hilltop Drive Elementary School, 30 Murray St. in Chula Vista
• Juarez-Lincoln Elementary School, 849 Twining Ave. in San Diego
• Loma Verde Elementary School, 1450 Loma Lane in Chula Vista
• Montgomery Elementary School 1601 4th Ave. in Chula Vista
• Otay Elementary School, 1651 Albany Ave. in Chula Vista
• Rice Elementary School, 915 4th Ave. in Chula Vista
• Vista Square Elementary School, 540 G St.in Chula Vista
National School District will also be distributing meals Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Las Palmas Elementary School, located at 1900 E. 18th St, in National City.
According to the National School District website, all children will be provided a lunch and breakfast meal at the same time and meals will be provided for anyone 18 and under regardless of what school or district they attend.
This story was updated April 14, 2020.
