LIHU‘E — Deena Fontana Moraes, a vice principal at the Elsie Wilcox Elementary School, said it appeared the Grab-and-Go team would have to wait out the rain, Monday during the opening day of the free meals program for the fall semester.
The Hawai‘i State Department of Education started the free Grab-and-Go school meals program at 203 public schools for the fall semester. The Grab-and-Go meals will be available through Dec. 18 to children ages 18 and younger, regardless of whether or not the students are enrolled at the distribution site, or are eligible for the free, or reduced-price lunch program.
“We are excited to be starting up this program again as it proved extremely successful over the summer, and we know it helps to fill a critical need in our communities,” said DOE Deputy Superintendent Phyllis Unebasami in a release. “Consistent daily nutrition is so important for the continued growth and development of our keiki, especially during these challenging times. We encourage parents to keep their keiki’s health a priority and to visit the nearest participating school for meal pick ups.”
On Kaua‘i, the free meal pickups will be available at the ‘Ele‘ele Elementary School, the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, Kapa‘a Elementary School, Kapa‘a High School, Kaua‘i High School, the King Kaumuali‘i Elementary School, Kekaha Elementary School, Kilauea Elementary School, Koloa Elementary School, the Waimea Canyon Middle School, Waimea High School, and Wilcox Elementary School.
Pick up times are scheduled by the individual schools.
Unlike the summer, the meal distribution will take place during the lunchtime, only.
Of note, Kalaheo Elementary School and the Hanalei Elementary School are not included in the listing of pickup sites.
During the pickups that take place Mondays through Fridays except for holidays and designated school breaks, the package in to-go containers for each child will include a lunch for the day, and a breakfast for the following day. Only one meal pick up for each child per day is allowed.
Social distancing is required and face masks must be worn at all times. Dine-in options will not be offered at the pickup sites.
“We have our pick up times from 11:30 a.m. to noon,” said Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School principal Jeanne Morris. “We also have students in school. Those students’ meals are served from noon to 12:30 p.m. Most of the students are released at 12:20 so they usually take the meals with them.”
Meals can be picked up without the children being present, but the parents or guardians must provide any of the following verification documents, including: an official letter or email from the school listing the child enrolled, a recent student report card, attendance records from parent portals of the school’s website, birth certificate of children, student ID cards, driver’s permits or licenses for high school students, or a state-issued ID for the child.
The free Grab-and-Go meal program is made possible through the U.S. Department of Agriculture funding that provides nationwide waivers for the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option to extend free meals to children through December at schools meeting USDA requirements for free and reduced-price meal populations.
This USDA funding program allowed the Hawai‘i Department of Education to provide more than 1.3 million free Grab-and-Go breakfast and lunch meals at nearly 80 public schools and community locations during the COVID-19 pandemic, starting March 23 and ending July 17, 2020.
