Though Fort Knox Community Schools announced they will offer free grab-and-go breakfast and lunch meals for all children ages birth to 18 beginning March 23, they are already handing out meals throughout this week.
Courtesy of post senior leaders, delivered by Soldiers from 19th Engineer Battalion and prepared by dining facility staff, this week’s meals are being offered to parents by school food service managers 8-9 a.m., and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday through Friday.
In a letter sent to parents from the Department of Defense Education Activity Americas Southeast District, school officials emphasized that all children are eligible for the meals for as long as the schools remain closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The meals starting Monday fall up under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program. They will be prepared at Van Voorhis Elementary School with many delivered to Fort Knox Middle High School.
School officials said parents can pick up the meals for all their children at either location.
“Children need not be students at Fort Knox Schools to participate,” stated the letter.
The federal program is designed to ensure Fort Knox children are fed as they normally would be during school days, but officials stated the meals are available only for pick-up at this time; no meals will be consumed at the schools.
“Meals will be served every day, Monday-Friday, excluding holidays, until schools re-open regardless of the school calendar ‘off’ dates, such as spring break or teacher training days,” according to the letter.
Part of the plan beginning Monday is to have parents pick up meals during lunchtime for that day’s lunch and the next day’s breakfast.
The two locations for pickup have been identified as the side of the cafeteria at Van Voorhis Elementary and near the cafeteria delivery ramp in front of the middle high school. Officials explained USDA regulations require that children must be present in the vehicle at the time of pickup to receive a meal.
“All five components of lunch meals and four breakfast items will be served and meet all prescribed nutritional requirements in accordance with USDA meal pattern requirements,” stated the letter. “Menus for meals to be served may be found in the School Meals Program page of your school’s website.”
For more information, call 502-624-7912.
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