On a late Wednesday morning, East Side Elementary School cafeteria manager Shemeca Bell was handing out grab-and-go meals to parents of HCS at Home students.
The meals - packaged to supply five days worth of breakfast and lunch - consisted of chicken biscuits, juice, tacos and snacks. That day, 13 families were given meals at the site.
"This is a really good program," Bell said. "I wish more would get involved in it. Maybe change the time frame [9 to 10 a.m.] when we hand these out. Overall, I think this is a good program."
All students receive meals from their schools, whether they are attending classes virtually via HCS at Home, or are part of the A/B scheduling for a mixture of in-person and remote learning.
The meals cost the same as they normally do when students are attending school. The majority of participants in the program are those students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.
Districtwide, 450 HCS at Home students are served on Wednesdays, while an additional 2,500 meals are distributed each Tuesday and Friday to those participating in the A/B scheduling.
OPERATION FOOD
Hamilton County Schools and other districts in the U.S. are offering grab-and-go meals this school year.
For the district, it's a continuation of an effort launched when the pandemic hit back in March.
The district set up meal pick-up locations in dozens of local schools, but as state and federal guidelines relaxed, Hamilton County, like many area school districts, turned to lunch delivery via bus. The buses drove elementary school routes between the late morning and early afternoon, three days a week, dropping off two days' worth of breakfasts and lunches to the children waiting.
Kristen Nauss, director of school nutrition, told the Times Free Press the meals are served under the regular meal programs the district operates during the school year.
"We're a self-funded program, and we earn money based on each meal that we serve," Nauss said. "Full-pay families pay for their own meal, and the federal government reimburses us for each meal served to reduced [price] and free students."
The preparation of the meals has slightly changed for the cafeteria staff. Nauss said while staff still report to prepare the needed meals for each day, some preparation does happen the day before.
"For example, if they are going to be packing baked beans in the take-home meals Tuesday, they might cook them Monday, so they have enough time to properly cool," Nauss said. "The difference for the staff has been juggling the multiple types of meals offered. They are used to cooking for students in the school, but now they are also packing meals for students to take home and for parents to pick up. The cafeteria staff are finding this challenging, but they are doing a great job of making sure students have access to the resources they need to learn."
Nauss said while participation numbers are low at the moment, the program is growing.
"Our current numbers are low, but they increase every time we serve, as families learn of the program," she said. "One concern we've heard is that the pickup time on Wednesdays is 9-10 a.m., when students are learning. Teachers are aware that some students may need to accompany their parents to pick up meals. We also want parents with students in multiple schools to know they can pick up meals for all their students at any school, so they don't need to drive all across town to get meals."
Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / Daniel Marroqum Tomas sits in the passenger seat, with his meals on the floorboard, at East Side Elementary on Friday, Aug. 21, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn.IT'S ABOUT THE KIDS
On Friday, parents lined up in front of East Side Elementary in their cars to pick up their kids. When the bell rang, the children came out of the school - one by one, with food in hand.
One of the children was 6-year-old Teresa Maricela Ramos-Miranda.
Father Ramos Perez and his wife helped her pack her meals in the car. Perez said he likes the program and commends the school for its efforts.
"It's really good," Perez said.
Roberta Massey, who was picking up her friend's child from school Friday, said she wasn't aware of the program but thinks it's a good idea for those in need.
Another parent, Linda Hermosillo, said she is grateful for the program because it helps with the family's budget.
"At the end of the day, it's about the kids, not you or I. A good meal can go a long way in a child's education."
Contact Monique Brand at mbrand@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook @MoBrandNews.