By Haley Knight |
Editor-in-chief
Richmond County school system is distributing breakfast and lunch bags to children ages 2-18, Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. This service allows pick-up with some areas offering delivery.
Parents with their children have the option of 20 different distribution sites that allow for curb-side pick-up. There are also 16 neighborhoods that will offer school bus delivery. Students in neighborhoods with delivery can meet the bus at the end of their driveway and be handed meals by school staff. For pick-up, school cafeteria staff and volunteers will bring the meals and place them in the vehicle, according to Nutrition Services Assistant Director Dana Bing.
In the case that a parent does not have the means to pick up a meal from these locations and does not live in an area offering delivery, the school system has partnered with local businesses and churches to offer free delivery.
"This is a strictly volunteer based operation. However, Richmond county employees will receive payment on the condition they make up the hours, Bing stated.
Bing expects to serve “approximately 33,000 children” or more. The operation will continue if the need is there.
“Meals they receive at school will be the only meal they receive that day,” said Bing.
Bing further explains that with the potential of schools staying closed, children will no longer have access to those meals. This is the reason that Richmond county has established the free lunch and breakfast bags.
“The significance of the community and CSRA coming together gives an example of a community or even Americans coming together despite tensions with a common goal,” said Bing.
If you would like to volunteer or donate, contact Dana Bing at 706-829-9615.
The table below is a full list of pick-up sites and neighborhoods that offer delivery.
Curbside Distribution Sites
School Bus Delivery Neighborhoods
Barton Chapel Elementary School
Bayvale Elementary School
Butler High School
Copeland Elementary School
Diamond Lakes Elementary School
Garrett Elementary School
Glenn Hills Middle School
Hephzibah High School
Hornsby 4-8
A.R. Johnson
Murphy Middle School
McBean Elementary School
Meadowbrook Elementary School
Pine Hill Middle School
Performance Learning Center
Reynolds Elementary School
Richmond Hill K-8
Terrace Manor Elementary School
Westside High School
Willis Foreman Elementary SchoolPepperidge
Castle Pines
Woodlake
Windsor Court Mobile Homes
Butler Creek
Apple Valley
Jennings Homes
Dogwood Terrace
Allen Homes
Raes Creek Mobile Homes
Delta Manor
Salem Arms
Magnolia Park Apartments
Fox Den
East Augusta Commons
Eastview Homes
Contact Haley Knight at HKNIGHT@augusta.edu.