School nutrition teams under quarantine turn to community to keep kids fed

School nutrition teams that have had to quarantine due to COVID-19 have received help from their communities to keep kids fed while staff members are away from work. 

When all of the nutrition staff at Mountain Pine School District in Mountain Pine, Ark., had to quarantine due to a possible COVID-19 exposure earlier this month, teachers’ aides, counselors and others volunteered to prep and serve meals to students. The district also partnered with a local church, which helped with meal distribution the following week.  

At Shawnee School District in Wolf Lake, Ill., a nearby school district stepped in to provide meals after Shawnee's nutrition team had to go into quarantine last week. Cafeteria staff at Jonesboro Elementary School District in Jonesboro, Ill., have been prepping and packing 207 breakfasts and lunches on behalf of the neighboring district.

Volunteers from Shawnee then come pick up the meals and bring them back to Wolf Lake to distribute them to children.