Valley schools offering free meals to students during closures amid COVID-19 outbreak
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Several school districts in the Central Valley have closed to prevent the spreading of the novel coronavirus. Students who rely on free school lunches will still be able to pick up meals from several school sites.
RELATED: Coronavirus updates: List of school, college and hospital closures and changes in Central California
The following school districts are providing free lunches to children:
All schools are listed in alphabetical order.
Alview-Dairyland Union School District
The district will make 'grab and go' lunches available to students at all the Chowchilla Elementary school sites. Lunches can be picked up from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. every day with the exception of spring break, April 6-13.
Alvina Elementary Charter School District
The district is offering meals for students 18 and under through vehicle pick-up at the Caruthers High School Cafeteria from Monday to Friday between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Students must be present to receive the meal, and they must remain in their vehicle, where they will be handed two bags - one with lunch for that day and the other with breakfast for the next day.
Burrel Union Elementary School District
Burrel Union Elementary is providing curbside drive-up 'grab and go' meals from 11 a.m - 12:30 p.m Monday to Friday. Students must be present to receive their meals.
Central Unified
Central Unified is offering a drive-thru and pick-up system for students to pick up lunch, and breakfast for the following morning, Monday through Friday from 11 am to 1 pm.
Children ages 1-18 are eligible to receive a meal. Children must be present to pick up a meal. Lunches will be distributed at these sites:
Clovis Unified
As of Tuesday, March 17, Clovis Unified will begin breakfast and lunch meal service at every high school and the following elementary schools:
Coalinga Huron Unified School District will deliver meals to their rural areas, and some schools will be open for grab-and-go or drive-thru pickups.
Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District
Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District is offering meals on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. They're providing breakfast and lunch and giving away several days of food at a time at the following drive-thru locations:
Exeter Unified School District
Exeter Unified is providing drive-through breakfast and lunch, regardless of free or reduced meal status. People are asked to stay in their vehicles and students must be present to receive the meals. They can be picked up starting March 18 through April 3 at the following locations:
Fresno Unified
Starting March 19, free meals will be distributed at several schools sites Monday through Sunday from 9 am to 11 am.
Students do not have to be enrolled to pick up a meal.
All students can pick up a meal at the following sites:
Hanford Elementary School District
Hanford Elementary School District will distribute free lunches for children 0-18 on Monday, March 16, and Tuesday, March 17, at Lincoln Elementary School from 11 am to 12 pm.
Wednesday, March 18 through Monday, April 13, students can pick up lunches at these school sites.
Kerman Unified School District
Kerman Unified said 'grab and go' meals will be available for students of the school district Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon at the following schools:
Lemoore Union Elementary School District
Administrators have set up a drive-thru and walk-up service for children under 18 to pick up meals once per day.
Students can pick up meals starting Wednesday, March 18, from 10:30 am to 12 pm.
Children must be present to receive a meal. You can pick up lunches at the following sites:
Los Banos Unified School District
Los Banos Unified is providing to-go meals for children ages 1-18, served Monday through Friday from 10 am to 1 pm.
Children can pick up meals from the following sites:
Madera Unified School District
Starting Monday, March 30, Madera Unified will distribute a week's worth of meals to its students one day a week. Meal distribution will be every Monday from 11 am to 12:30 pm at all elementary schools -- including the country K-8 schools.
Mariposa County Unified School District
Families can pick up lunch and breakfast Monday through Friday from 10:30 to noon by walking into one of their designated locations, or at their drive-through location at Mariposa County High's bus loading zone. The meals will be available for anyone in the community 18 and under, no matter what school they attend. Children must be present to receive the meals. The designated walk-up locations are:
Merced City School District
The district is offering curbside grab-and-go meal service. Free, nutritious breakfast and lunch is being provided to students Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Parents may pick up food for their students. Students may also pick up their own food, with their drive-thru and walk-up options at every school. All children under 18 will be served.
Orange Center School District
Orange Center will continue to have free meals available for all children, ages 1-18, during the temporary school closure. Breakfast and lunch will be delivered at each child's regularly scheduled bus stop at the time they are usually picked up. They'll be at the Casitas bus stop and at the Fig and Roy stop from 9:00-9:30 a.m. Students can also pick up meals at the school from 7:30-10:00 a.m. each morning.
Pacific Union School District
Drive-through and pick up lunch and breakfast will be available at the following schools:
Porterville Unified School District
Starting on March 23, Porterville Unified School District will provide 'Grab and Go' lunches and breakfasts for students at all school sites. The meals will be available Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Sanger Unified School District
Parents can take children to any of the sites listed below from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting March 17th through April 3 to pick up a free lunch and breakfast for the next day.
Sequoia Union Elementary School District
The district in Lemon Cove will start serving meals to students ages 1-18 starting Thursday, March 19. This will be done as a drive-up 'grab and go' from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Participants will be provided a lunch for that day and a breakfast for the next day.
Visalia Unified School District
Visalia Unified is offering a grab-n-go meal service at certain schools and bus stops starting Wednesday, March 18, through Friday, April 3. Free lunch and breakfast will be available to all children ages 1 to 18 years old through a drive-thru or pick-up system. Both lunch and breakfast (for the next day) will be available for pick up at the same time, in order to prevent the need for families to return to the pickup location twice.
Children and teens can pick up meals with or without a parent; however, parents cannot pick up meals without their children present. Here are the sites at which meals can be picked up:
Washington Unified School District
Washington Unified will allow families to pick up lunch and breakfast for the following days in a mobile walk up or drive-thru meal service starting Monday, March 16, through at least Friday, April 3, 2020 at 9 school sites from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. Children must be present in order for meals to be provided. The designated locations are:
Yosemite Unified School District
Families can pick up lunch and breakfast for anyone in the community 18 and under from Monday to Friday between 11.30 am and noon at the following sites:
For more news coverage on the coronavirus and COVID-19 go to abc30.com/coronavirus/.
