by Lauren Ericson
Chawanakee Unified is now providing “Grab-n-Go” breakfasts and lunches to any student in the district, free of charge. The “Grab-n-Go” meals will be available on all school sites from Sep. 8 to Dec. 18, Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The district asks that students and/or parents fill out the free and reduced-price meal application available on the school’s website if they are looking to receive these free of charge meals.
This program is intended to help families in the community by providing meals to Chawanakee Unified students, especially those who were largely dependent on school-provided meals pre-quarantine. Lunch lady Kristen Hillerman commented, “I felt very fortunate to help our community during this time. It was so nice to see our students and meet new families!” Hillerman also commented on how the current pandemic has affected her, saying, “COVID-19 has not affected me too much as I was still able to work. It did give me the opportunity to work out of the North Fork Elementary and Hillside Elementary kitchens. It was a lot of fun working with the other food service staff."
As for the turnout of students, Hillerman said, “We provided a sack lunch and breakfast every day to the students and children ages 1-18. We served anywhere from 25 to 110 meals a day.”
Lastly, when asked about what the hardest part of this quarantine has been, Hillerman said, “The hardest part of all for me is not being able to say goodbye to all of our students at Minarets at the end of the school year. We didn’t have the opportunity to congratulate our graduates before they graduated, and I wasn’t able to thank our student helpers who worked in the kitchen. Seeing the students daily is a big part of why I love my job.”
Thank you to Kristen Hillerman and the rest of the food staff for continuing to contribute to the community and again, if interested in the “Grab-n-Go” breakfast and lunch program, visit the Minarets website for more information.