Mahomet-Seymour seeks more children who need food
In all the uncertainty that is happening in March, the state of Illinois and the Mahomet-Seymour School District have committed to providing food for children.
“Not just students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, but also to make meals available for any child 18-and-under in the community,” Mahomet-Seymour superintendent Lindsey Hall said.
Since the March 13 announcement that schools would be closed until March 31, and the later announcement that they would be closed until April 8, Mahomet-Seymour sought ways to continue to provide both breakfast and lunch for any child that needed a meal.
During the March 16-20 Spring Break, Mahomet-Seymour did not provide lunches, but Hall said that in the first two days this week, 433 meals have been handed out.
“Most kids are getting two (meals), so we think we fed over 200 students,” she said.
But the district feels like there are more children in the Mahomet-Seymour area who need to be connected with the Food Distribution program.
On March 17, Hall sent a letter via Skyward to families letting them know that they could sign up for breakfast and/or lunch at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdTSgDkYN1m4aucEjhth5CsyRLHJWT_jIfHXQVGiDJN3X_YvA/viewform.
The link continues to be viable for meal requests. Hall said parents and guardians can also call or email the building principals with their requests.
“We just want to get the message out to all families right now who might be in need of this,” Hall said. “And if it helps, we welcome them. We will get it to them if they can’t come pick it up.”
Food distribution is happening from 10 a.m. to noon at Middletown Prairie and Lincoln Trail Elementary Monday through Friday. The drive-up service provides each child with a meal: breakfast includes cereal and milk, a strawberry bar, an apple and a cracker; lunch includes sun butter and jelly or cheese sandwich (option is alternated), carrots and ranch dressing and applesauce.
“These are meals that have to meet specific nutritional guidelines and then we have some items that need to be cooled,” Hall said.
By meeting the nutritional guidelines, the district will be reimbursed by the Federal School Lunch program.
Hall said the Mahomet-Seymour District’s partnership with Arbor Management in supplying food has been instrumental in feeding children.
“So far it’s gone very smoothly,” she said. “I can’t say enough about our food service staff from Arbor. They have just done a tremendous job.”
Both Pritzker and Hall have said that as long as schools are closed, even if they go to a remote learning platform, they will continue to provide food for children.
“It’s a top priority,” Hall said. “The top priority is the health and safety of our students and families, and while learning is still a priority, and it’s up there, this is the top priority. That will definitely continue.
“I know that one of the hardest parts of this whole time is just unknown and uncertainty and having to take things on sometimes just hour by hour, and that’s disconcerting and really uncomfortable, but the community has been amazing and so supportive and generous.”
The district put a call out late last week for donations to the Give Me 5 program, which has provided take-home food for students in need for a few years. As of March 21, the community had contributed $8,370.
“The generosity has been overwhelming,” Hall said. “We feel very supported, thank you.
“We can continue that program for a long time, based upon the donations that we received and we’ll be finding ways to get those meals out to families.”
Hall said there is additional help for families immediately, though.
On March 26, March 27 and March 30, Mom’s Pantry, located in the care center, which is behind the high school in the CAIR Center, will be open.
“If families need an additional bag of food, they can hop right up to Mom’s Pantry,” Hall said. “We can give out some other non-perishable items. We also have some household and hygiene items as well that we’ll give out so that is just another resource.”
Hall said Mom’s Pantry may be open more often, but at this time, they are only looking at the next three days.
