The Warren Sun

In an effort to help those in need during the COVID-19 crisis, schools in Macomb County are offering free meals.

According to Macomb Daily, school districts throughout the county are giving out breakfasts and lunches to students and their families, as school closings have resulted in numerous free meals being cut from children's lives.

The program is being called the Unanticipated School Closure Summer Food Service Program. Families do not need to qualify for free or reduced-price lunches to be eligible for the meals, and children up to 18 years of age are eligible. Additionally, adults who are up to 26 years old and part of a program for mental or physical disabilities, which has been acknowledged by the state or local public educational agency, are also able to partake in the free meal system. 

The food program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Quality Assurance Manager for Utica Community Schools Kathy Conrad said that she was surprised by the large number of people who showed up for a meal, but she is not worried that the system is being abused. 

“There are always going to be people that take advantage, but you can’t worry about that,” Conrad said. “Most are grateful. People are honking their horns and cheering," she told Macomb Daily.

According to the Macomb Intermediate School District, in 2019, nearly 50% of the county’s student population was eligible for free or reduced-price breakfasts and lunches, with some schools reporting numbers as high as 90%. 

Because of these statistics, it has been a concern for many that, without school in session, children will be going hungry. The same food is being prepared as is normally offered during school days, and those distributing the food are helping on a volunteer basis.

"We got a call yesterday; a man thanked us,” Conrad told Macomb Daily. “He was crying, saying he used to be in a position where he couldn’t buy food and now he is, and he wanted to give accolades to the food service people.”