HARRISBURG, Pa. —
The Harrisburg School District is offering free grab-and-go meals to students during the two-week, state-mandated closure of schools due to COVID-19.
With 84.9 percent of students coming from low-income households, the Harrisburg School District already provides free breakfast and lunch to all students. As many kids rely on these meals to stay full through the day, officials said the meal program would lessen the impact of the COVID-19 closure.
Starting Tuesday, March 17, parents or guardians can pick up one breakfast and lunch per student at six locations:
Foose School (1301 Sycamore St.)
Rowland Academy (1842 Derry St.)
John Harris Campus (2451 Market St.)
Downey School (1313 Monroe St.)
Ben Franklin School (1205 North Sixth St.)
Camp Curtin Academy (2900 North Sixth St.)
Pickup times will be staggered to safely distribute the meals to the district’s 6,132 students:
10:00 a.m.: Pre-K to fourth grade
10:30 a.m.: Fifth to eighth grades
11:00 a.m.: Ninth to 12th grades
Students must be present to receive meals.
The multiple pickup locations will help lessen contact between people and make distribution more efficient, officials said.
“If we do have a thousand show up at each site, we can handle that,” said Chris Celmer, Harrisburg School District’s acting superintendent.
The school district is getting food from its own supply, as well as a partnership with Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.
“In real time this is coming together incredibly fast,” said Joe Arthur, the bank’s executive director. “We serve a very large territory and this is the most robust response that is starting right now.”
The Harrisburg Police Department will join the partnership on Wednesday and Friday, when they will help hand out extra meals for family members of students, both in the morning and at an additional evening pickup.
“What I would ask is that when it starts tomorrow, that people act orderly, they cooperate so things can run smoothly,” said Harrisburg Police Commissioner Thomas Carter.
A different plan will go into effect next week, possibly offering more meals on fewer pickup days.
Through the pickups, officials ask people to practice social distancing by not staying at the pickup locations to talk with other families.