Student meal programs continue in Lee County
More than 4 million meals have been provided to Lee County students since January as Food and Nutrition Services continues various feeding models.
“That, in itself, is phenomenal. I attribute that to staff working out in the schools,” Food and Nutrition Services Director Kandy Messenger said during a school board workshop meeting Monday afternoon.
Messinger told the board that they went through different feeding models and scenarios of where to feed students at the beginning of the year. Without hesitation, staff made changes and students were fed curbside for Lee Home Connect and Lee Virtual School. There are also kiosks set up throughout the schools.
“The feeding model changed and food services adapted to changes,” Messinger said.
There as also agility in services as Food and Nutrition Services provided grab-and -go meal distributions at bus loops, car ride lines, as well as going out into the community.
“We are still feeding curbside. As students come back we are seeing that number drop,” Messinger said.
There are 26 locations at school sites throughout Lee County that still provide Grab and Go meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays for Lee Home Connect and Lee Virtual School students. The times are all held in the morning.
At Pine Island Elementary, meals are available from 7:15 to 7:45 a.m.
For a complete list, visit https://bit.ly/3rtbBco.
Over the last three years the district has had an increase in breakfast participation. This year, due to the pandemic, they had a lot of hurdles to jump to feed students, Messinger said.
Since school resumed, breakfast has shifted to classroom feeding. Food Services brings food out to students once they arrive to school.
“They can pick up breakfast as they arrive and consume breakfast wherever they are required to be,” Messenger said.
There is trash removal after each meal service to ensure that trash is being picked up throughout the day. In addition, when the meals are delivered, there are large trash bags delivered as well.
Food and Nutrition Services to date has covered 23 kitchen sites with staff. When those kitchens were closed for quarantine, she said they had less than 24 hours to gather another staff to come in and feed the students, which resulted in relief teams.
“The ultimate goal is to feed the students. We will figure out everything else on the other side,” Messinger told her staff. “The staff has been wonderful.”
The relief team is made up of current employees and assistant managers who are taken from various schools. Messenger said the relief team can last for days to a week and a half.
“It has been working,” she said. “We have travelers. We try to use most of them.”
For the students who returned to school and receive breakfast and lunch, Messinger said it was important to staff to make sure the students felt welcomed, especially because of the unknown. They wanted to make sure they were as personable as they could be in keeping students safe.
“I have a very passionate staff. They like to get involved in different holidays. (They like to) just be there and keep the students entertained while being safe,” Messinger said. “We continue to run contests where students can interact and be as normal as they can in the situation we are in.”
It was also shared that Colonial Elementary School Food & Nutrition Services Manager Shiela Colon was selected to be the face for Tyson Food, a national magazine, for food service workers.