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Schools providing free, to-go meals to students during COVID-19 cancellations

With school canceled for two weeks, area school divisions are switching to curbside delivery food service to help families in need.

HAMPTON, Va. — Lori Campbell, the cafeteria manager at Aberdeen Elementary in Hampton, said she's just as happy serving meals on the curb than the cafeteria.

Nora Rapada said she refuses to let any child go hungry while school is out of session.

"Whether I'm in here or behind the counter, the show must go on," Rapada, a cafeteria employee at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, said. 

Hampton City Schools and Portsmouth Public Schools are two of the first school divisions in Hampton Roads to offer free, to-go meals for students at select schools around the cities

"I don't want to see any child go hungry, we have plenty of food for them," Campbell said.

RELATED: Hampton Roads school divisions offer meals to students during COVID-19 closures

Campbell provided four sack lunches to grandmother Georgia Scott, who was on errands picking up food and supplies for her four grandchildren.

"The food is there for them so that's one less thing [families] have to deal with," Scott said. "It means a lot, the only problem is I have to run around and pick up everything.

Scott and others recognize the main problem with the fill-in system: transportation. How will parents come to pick up the food if they have to work during school hours, or what about families that don't have transportation options to the select schools offering free meals?

Still, Hampton City Schools School Board Chair Ann Cherry said the program is a must-have.

"These are the people who understand the plight of our children because for so many of them this will be the only meal they get," Cherry said.

Cherry said cafeteria staff worked over the weekend to ensure food would be ready for pick-up Monday morning.

"You have cafeteria workers who get it, saying, 'Tell us when and where and we're there,' so kudos to them," Cherry said. 

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Portsmouth Public Schools already reviewed Monday's meal services and made a change for the rest of the week. PPS will now offer both breakfast and lunch from 10 a.m. to noon at I.C. Norcom High School, Wilson High School, and Churchland Middle School.

The change is designed to cut down on the number of trips that family members will have to take to pick up meals. Instead of two trips for both breakfast and lunch, they can come once and receive both meals.

Meals handed out in Portsmouth and Hampton Monday included sandwiches, burgers, fresh fruit, vegetables, chips, milk, juice, and other items. 

"You know they'll get a well-balanced meal eating from the cafeteria," Campbell said. 

Many other Hampton Roads school divisions will offer similar curbside meal services starting Tuesday. A full list of schools and times can be found here.

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