School system using bus routes for meal distribution

  • From left, Anne Westlake (Clear Creek Middle School), volunteers Mark and Bernice Marshall, Kristie Cole (Clear Creek Middle School), Dora Martin (Gilmer High School) and bus driver Jacob Dunne were one of the teams of school employees and volunteers who provided lunches and snacks to local students during the first week that Gilmer’s schools were closed in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. The school system served 2,703 meals to the county’s youth through the first six days of the program.
    From left, Anne Westlake (Clear Creek Middle School), volunteers Mark and Bernice Marshall, Kristie Cole (Clear Creek Middle School), Dora Martin (Gilmer High School) and bus driver Jacob Dunne were one of the teams of school employees and volunteers who provided lunches and snacks to local students during the first week that Gilmer’s schools were closed in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. The school system served 2,703 meals to the county’s youth through the first six days of the program.

    After a week of delivering meals to the county’s youth, changes have been made to the Seamless Meal Program.

    Following the announcement of school closures March 13 because of the outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the school system took action to ensure Gilmer’s youth were fed.

    Starting March 16, hot, free meals were delivered to 12 sites throughout the county. However, some students were still going hungry. Beginning Wednesday, March 25, buses will start to run standard routes to distribute food.

    Gilmer Schools superintendent Dr. Shanna Downs explained the need to add food delivery.

    “For the last week, we have operated a food program similar to Seamless Summer from years past,” she said. “Now, we are modifying and expanding the plan to allow us to deliver more meals to our community knowing that our most needy children will go without otherwise.  

    “This will allow meals to be distributed directly to the students; however, we will continue to keep our four busiest Seamless Feeding sites open.”

    The sites that will remain open are located at Tower Road, Mulberry Street Apartments, Ellijay United Methodist Church and the Civic Center.

    The program distributed 2,730 meals during the first six days, spanning from March 16 to March 23.

    “I want to commend the school nutrition staff for stepping up,” said school nutrition director Linda Waters. “This is unchartered territory, and we’ve never had to do this before in such a tight turnaround period. They came together and produced hot meals for our children that we delivered to the community. 

    “I know a lot of parents greatly appreciated it because if best they have cold food at home. To get a hot pizza, hot corn dog nuggets, hamburgers delivered to their home with a fruit and vegetable, and a snack meal to keep after the fact, I think it means a lot to them.”

    Twenty-one buses delivering meals will depart from schools Monday through Friday at 11 a.m. to run their normal routes. The four feeding sites will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Meals are available to those who are 18 and under, regardless if they are enrolled in school.

    The routes will also be used to distribute paper assignment packets to students in pre-K through fifth grade. The packets will also be distributed via email, and they will be available at designated pick-up locations at schools.

    Students in sixth through 12th grade will continue to complete assignments in virtual classes online. 

    Downs noted, “For students in these upper grades without internet access, print resources will be distributed in the same manner as the curriculum packets for the lower grades.”