School nutrition staff served 264 lunch and breakfast combos at six locations across Weakley County in the first day of school closure.
Director of School Nutrition Trista Snider says those numbers will probably increase and they want families throughout the county to know they are ready.
According to Weakley County Schools Communications Director Karen Campbell, a complete lunch as well as an additional milk and breakfast item are included in the packaged meals distributed via a “drive-through” system customized for each venue.
Meals are being served each day from 11:00 to 1:00 at Dresden Elementary/Middle School, Gleason School, Greenfield School, Martin Elementary, Sharon School, and Westview High School.
Campbell says the food distribution is for any child age 1 to 18 whether they’re a student of Weakley County Schools or not; however, they must be in the car to receive the food at the drive-through locations and families can choose any location to receive the meals.
Snider says additional sites will be added Wednesday to ensure children and youth have easy access to the meals.
The two newest locations will be the Pillowville Country Store in McKenzie, and Martin Housing Authority’s Tom and Ann Stuart Community Center in Martin.
On Thursday, the Palmersville Fire Department will be added as a drive-through location.
Director of Schools Randy Frazier says he anticipates adding other locations next week to make access to meals as easy as possible and is preparing to utilize bus routes and other creative approaches, however, they’re still facing some hurdles from the state regarding regulations that, at the moment, prohibit those approaches.
Frazier says he’s grateful for the community’s willingness to volunteer, but at this time, the school system has enough workers to take care of the meals, and encourages residents that they can meet the needs of their neighbors, especially the elderly, for the meals the school system doesn’t provide.
(photo: Martin Primary SRO Cody Stewart, Martin Elementary School cafeteria manager Lindsey Joyner, Cafeteria worker Kathryn Brown, and Field Supervisor Tammy Craddock greeted families at Martin Elementary receiving the “drive-through” meals provided to Weakley County children and youth during the school closure.)
