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Rochester schools left with thousands of pre-ordered meals never picked up

Published  March 24, 2020 11:21pm EDT
Coronavirus
FOX 2 Detroit

FOX 2 - Rochester Community Schools is taking extra steps to ensure its students don't go hungry while schools are shut down.
    
But thousands of pre-ordered meals were never picked up - and now the school district is asking parents to take action.

Rochester schools left with thousands of preordered meals

"We want people to know if you need food we've got it," Dr. Shaner said. "We want to make sure their kids have food to eat but please if you don't need it not going to pick it up let us know so we can plan appropriately."

 
Because of a federal program, all children under the age of 18 and special ed students under 26 - can recieve bagged meals from Rochester Community Schools. Here's the catch - you just have to register for the service - and if you do - make sure you pick up your food.

"It is an opportunity for people to follow the governor's order stay home and stay healthy," said Supt. Dr. Robert Shaner.

Shaner is pleased Rochester Schools is able to provide three days of breakdfast and lunch to kids who need it most - especially as we try to protect our families from beoming infected with the coronavirus.

The response by volunteers has been huge and families registered for more than 13,000 meals, but unfortunately on Monday 4,500 were not picked up.

"We want people to know if you need food we've got it," Shaner said. "We want to make sure their kids have food to eat but please if you don't need it not going to pick it up let us know so we can plan appropriately."

But as the days go on and the virus spreads, fewer volunteers have been able to assist in the social distancing distribution, but Shaner says as long as there is a need,  they will continue to feed the hungry kids within six cities and 66 square miles they cover.

Shaner says the food that wasn't picked up - won't go to waste - but they need to use their federally trained food service workers and volunteers as efficiently as possible.

"We are actually handing out multiple days of meals three days a week as you can imagine, as people have loved ones at home medically fragile sick at home," he said. "Naturally there are fewer people to distribute meals, we are luckily getting help from the municipalities firefighters other volunteers continues to ne a challenge but committed to getting people fed."

Children do not have to be registered with rochester community schools to participate in the program. Food pick up is Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:30-11:30 am.

If you want to register call 248-726-4618 or email focfoodservice@rochester.k12.mi.us