Regardless of some obstacles faced and some changes made by Daviess County and Owensboro public schools due to COVID-19, food service and transportation employees are continuing their free meal programs offered to thousands of local students three days a week.
OPS served 16,448 meals just this week, and DCPS served around 15,000.
On Friday alone, OPS served 6,140 meals at six different locations, according to Public Information Officer Jared Revlett. OPS’ food service and transportation employees have put together and distributed 72,357 meals total.
“From the get-go, that was our top priority,” Revlett said. “Seventy-six percent of our students are on free and reduced lunch. Without the program, a number of kids would have nothing at all.”
OPS faced a big challenge with its free meal program when three of its employees tested positive for COVID-19. However, those running operations persisted through the scare and continued to feed their students, albeit under new regulations that included reducing the program’s days from five to three a week and rotating shifts to cut down on physical contact.
Those changes were made to prevent burnout too, Revlett said, so that employees didn’t feel too strained or overworked.
DCPS has made similar changes according to Lisa Sims, director of school nutrition, as they now only serve meals Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. They reduced the number of curbside pickup locations as well.
While DCPS has not had any of its food service or transportation employees test positive for the coronavirus, Sims said four people have been tested.
“But, someone has to get quarantined every time that happens,” she said. “Right now, we’ve got 75 out of 127 employees operating the sites.”
Like OPS, DCPS employees rotate shifts and most work two days a week, Sims said. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, things have “absolutely” begun running smoother for those involved.
“We’re pretty balanced out right now, but every time restrictions change, our numbers change,” Sims said. “But we’re in a good rhythm right now.”
Revlett described those working the front lines for OPS as champions during this time.
“Our food service folks and transportation employees have been great,” he said. “They’ve really rallied behind this because they know our kids need these meals.”
OPS just added Newton Parrish Elementary School to its list of free meal pickup sites.
Both districts will transition into their summer feeding programs soon, and Sims said DCPS will likely include its curbside pickup sites along with its mobile route, though pickup sites may be cut down to three.
Revlett said OPS will make some changes before the summer feeding program starts, but the district will continue its free meal program through May 15.
