Miami-Dade Schools offering free meals through year’s end to all of its students

As Miami-Dade public schoolchildren ease back into in-person learning this week, school district officials say they are facing an even bigger issue than a poor internet connection: hunger.

Still, Penny Parham, the district’s food and nutrition officer, said she is confident as schools open up they will be able to meet the food demand.

“We will be providing breakfast and lunch meals for the students who come to school in a safe, sanitary, COVID-19 compliance,” she said.

An inside look at how a Miami school welcomed back students on its first day of classes

Miami-Dade public schools started in-person classes Monday, with staggered grades returning throughout the week. Students who return to face-to-face learning will be given free breakfast and lunch by the district.

The district is also providing free meals for pickup from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at all schools to students who are learning remotely.

Under a special waiver, the district is providing free meals to all of its 255,000 students between now and the end of the year.

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More than 1 in 7 Florida households are facing unmet food demands, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Unemployment numbers nearly tripled from March to April from a 4.1% unemployment rate to 13.4% in Florida. Though the unemployment rate in the district dropped to 8.1% in August, according to labor statistics in the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the food crisis is far from over.

The district has distributed more than 7 million meals since the start of the pandemic, said Parham.

With the district providing free meals for all children 18 and under, each Tuesday and Thursday, multiple meals are packaged to be taken back home. Parents are able to pick up meals on behalf of their children, though valid identification is required.

More than 2,500 district staff members have been distributing meals since March 16, when the school doors closed due to the coronavirus pandemic and schools pivoted to remote learning.

The family “Meals-on-the-Go,” which is a separate district-run program, has provided 121,041 meals and 17,000 bags of groceries to families in need since March 25.

Individual donors, local organizations and restaurateurs have been donating food to provide thousands of additional meals to children and families. Several donors have contributed directly toward the Foundation for New Education.

Meals are purchased by the district from various locally owned restaurants from across South Florida.

“The initiative supports the local economy, while also providing hot meals and bags of fresh produce to families,” said district spokesman Elmo Lugo.

Extending free school meals until the end of the year

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Aug. 31 that it would extend meal waivers for low-income families, allowing the district to continue serving free meals to all students until the end of the year.

Federal funding is provided to the district to provide free meals to students.

The agency normally provides funding only for families who can prove a need, but the waivers allow the district to provide the meals without having to prove the recipients’ economic status.

“We have parents that are truly unaware of the services that are being provided to them,” said Katyna Martin, the principal of West Miami Middle School.

Through the donations of the USDA, she said West Miami has been able to meet the needs of the school community, providing 640 meals per day twice a week.

“As the pandemic caused a lack of resources, barely any income is coming from the house. ... Many parents are just honestly frightened,” said Martin. “Meals programs such as these have truly helped the needs of the community.

Food Rescue U.S. has stepped in to organize food distributions

Outside of the district, national organizations such as Food Rescue U.S. have stepped in locally to address the issue.

In Miami, the organization provides fresh produce to families and children by collecting food donations from restaurants and allocating them to communities in need.

“We were able to partner up with various restaurants throughout Miami in order to distribute the excess food that was seen throughout the pandemic,” said CEO Carol Shattuck.

Working in partnership with Carol City Middle School in Miami Gardens, the group provided meals to their students during graduation.

“Anywhere that there is a potential for surplus food that is not being used, we are able to work with that organization,” said Shattuck.