The United States flipped upside down as soon as the Coronavirus hit in March of this year. The virus left many people jobless and students became self-taught from their bedrooms. Since a lot of people were unable to work, meals became difficult to provide. 

To help solve the problem of meals, Columbus High School participated in a Summer Food Service Program sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

The Summer Food Service Program for students turned out to be a huge success.  Due to the impact of this program, Columbus High School qualified to receive a waiver from the USDA, allowing the district to provide meals until December 22. The free meals are open to all students regardless of financial support needed within the family. 

With each of these meals, there are a few requirements for the grant to work. First, participation in this program is completely optional. The students can choose to take one breakfast meal and/or one lunch meal every day. In addition, if a student chooses to take a meal, the meal must include one main dish and at least two sides. The purpose of the amount of food taken is to make sure that all students are given a nutritious and well-balanced meal easing the stress of parents who are unable to work as much. If a student chooses to get an Ala Carte item, this will be purchased with their own money and is not covered under the grant. 

Dr. Chester Kay, CPS Director of Business Operations and Human Resource Manager, stated, “Administratively we believe our participation in this waiver program is good for all families and students as the area continues to recover from some work reductions, furloughs, and layoffs.  We hope this alleviates some stress for families in our school district.” 

If you need more information, talk to the lunch coordinator of your CPS building or visit the following website:

https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2020/08/31/usda-extends-free-meals-kids-through-december-31-2020