The entire world anticipated the start of a new decade. A time to start over, finally take the leap into entrepreneurship or decide to finish a degree. Creativity was in the air and opportunities were limitless until one day it seemed as if the entire world started shutting down country by country. As you read this article there isn’t a television across the world that isn’t having a candid conversation about our arch enemy “Rona”. Who knew that the world was even capable of being shut down? It’s as if we’re in some plague special only featured on NetFlix or Own Network.
This entire situation was totally unexpected and even though its been said that we’re basically on a semi-quarantine in some areas the mass hysteria has definitely taken its toil on America. Every child in the world at this moment is being taught virtually. While the kids may be thrown off their normal schedule they all seem to have adapted very well during the first week. Here’s a list of places all over the State of Georgia where students can still receive a lunch and in some areas a lunch and breakfast. The State Department of Education and many individual districts are preparing contingency plans so students who aren’t going to school can still get a meal.
Atlanta Public Schools
All Atlanta Public School students can receive free bagged meals daily at the following five school sites, Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-noon. Those five sites are Douglass High School, Cleveland Elementary, Bunche Middle School, Sylvan Middle School, and Phoenix Academy. Service started on March 16th. You can find additional information on the APS website.
Barrow County School District
The Barrow County School district is offering meals for children weekdays from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., Locations: Apalachee High School (behind the school by the stadium) and Winder-Barrow High School (front of the school by cafeteria) preparing and distributing Grab-N-Go bags containing breakfast and lunch for any child under the age of 18.
Families can also sign up to have meals delivered if they are unable to get to any of the locations. If you need meals delivered to your child or children (anyone under the age of 18), please visit the website bit.ly/BCSSmeals.
Buford City Schools
The Buford City Schools (BCS) School Nutrition and Transportation Departments will be delivering breakfast and lunch to students at specific stops throughout our district.
The transportation department will travel to specific bus routes in their district to deliver meals daily. Also, there will be a drive-thru service at Buford Academy from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. each school day we are closed beginning on Tuesday, March 17. All youth that is 18 years or younger and is present at either location will be offered these meals.
Sites locations and times
Route 1
9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Bloom at Buford
(Management Office)
9:35 a.m. to 10 a.m.
(Sudderth Road and French Boulevard)
Route 2
9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Countryside Village
(Community and sales office)
Route 3
9 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. Rose Hill Plantation
(Sturgeon Road and Sturgeon Circle)
9:25 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Eagle Creek
(Parking lot closest to South Lee Street)
9:50 a.m. to 10 a.m. Windridge
(Management Office)
Route 4
9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Peeblebrook
(Gas Plus at entrance)
Route 5
9 a.m. 10 a.m. Buford First
United Methodist Church
Route 6
9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Buford Academy
Clayton County
Clayton County Public Schools will be serving both breakfast and lunch meals at ten (10) pre-selected sites. All meals will be served at all schools on a grab and go basis, and will be served between the following hours:
Breakfast 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Lunch 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sites selected to participate are:
Edmonds Elementary
Jackson Elementary
Lake Ridge Elementary
Eddie White Academy
Rex Mill Middle
Kendrick Middle School
North Clayton Middle
Forest Park High
Mundy’s Mill High
Riverdale High
Those eligible for this service must be 18 or younger, or individuals with a state-defined mental or physical disability. More information on other services from the district here.
Chatham County
Chatham County begin distributing meals on Thursday, March 26, to families at more than 400 bus stops across the county.
Bus meal delivery locations and stop times are available HERE. Simply look for the route departing from the school closest to you to find your closest stop and time.
Cobb County
Cobb County has partnered with MUST Ministries to provide food to students in need. For more information about the MUST Food Rapid Response details are available on the MUST Ministries website.
DeKalb County
DeKalb County School District students can receive a free bagged lunch daily, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to noon at the schools listed.
In addition, DCSD’s partner, DeKalb County government, will provide snacks to students between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the listed recreation centers.
DCSD has also partnered with Atlanta Community Food Bank, which will distribute food once a week beginning March 23, at some of our feeding sites. The District is seeking additional partners.
Schools
Region I
Cross Keys HS
Sequoyah MS
Region II
Idlewood ES
Tucker MS
Region III
Lithonia HS
Marbut ES
Region IV
Clarkston HS
Jolly ES
Region V
Chapel Hill MS
Narvie J. Harris ES
Region VI
Bethune MS
Canby Lane ES
Region VII
McNair MS
Early Learning Center
Recreation Centers
Gresham Recreation
3113 Gresham Road
Atlanta, GA 30316
Exchange Intergenerational
2771 Columbia Drive
Decatur, GA 30034
Redan Recreation
1839 Phillips Rd.
Lithonia, GA 30058
Tobie Grant
644 Parkdale Drive
Scottdale, GA 30079
N.H. Scott
2230 Tilson Road
Decatur, GA 30032
Lucious Sanders
2484 Bruce Street
Lithonia, GA 30058
Mason Mill
1340- B McConnell Drive
Decatur, GA 30033
Hamilton
3263 Chapel Street
Scottdale, GA 30079
Midway Recreation Center
3181 Midway Rd
Decatur, GA 30032
Douglas County
As of March 18, free meals will be available for children ages 0-18 at several Douglas County sites. Meals will be available for pickup at five locations: Alexander High School, Chapel Hill High School, Douglas County High School, Lithia Springs High School, and New Manchester High School.
Each location will provide a Wednesday drive-up service for 100 children from a.m. until noon. Douglas County School Nutrition will distribute five days’ worth of breakfast and lunch to children every Wednesday until school resumes. Meal service will increase based on the needs of the community. If the school closure extends, service will extend into other areas.
The community meal service is available for all children ages 0-18, regardless of school or place of residence. Children must be present in the car to receive meals. Each child present in the vehicle will receive a five-day supply of breakfast and lunch. Parents and children must stay in the car and drive through the front entrance of the school for meal service. Visitors to New Manchester High School must enter through the back Cafe entrance, where nutrition workers will deliver meals.
Henry County
Henry County Schools and the School Nutrition Department will be offering free take-home meals during the current school closure.
Services started on Wednesday, March 18, families will be able to pick up lunch for that day and breakfast for the following morning for their students (regardless of the school they attend in Henry County Schools) at one of the following locations:
- Locust Grove Elementary – 95 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Locust Grove, GA 30248
- Hampton Middle School – 799 Hampton-Locust Grove Rd., Hampton, GA 30228
- McDonough Middle School – 175 Postmaster Dr., McDonough, GA 30253
- Stockbridge Middle School – 533 Old Conyers Rd., Stockbridge, GA 30281
Fayette County
Families who need help with meals for any Fayette County student age 18 and under during the closure can come to Spring Hill Elementary School and North Fayette Elementary School from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Food will be distributed as a drive-thru service.
Fulton County
The FCS Nutrition program will provide an opportunity for families to drive through and pick up meals for the children in their family, at six school sites throughout the district:
- Lake Forest Elementary School
- Tri-Cities High School
- Mimosa Elementary School
- Banneker High School
- Haynes Bridge Middle School
- Langston Hughes High School
The program and meals are for students only. Families can pick up meals for all children under the age of 18, or under the age of 21 for youth with special needs. Children must be present in order for meals to be provided.
Gwinnett County
Click here for pickup availability.
City of Marietta Schools
The district’s plan involves deploying our buses to deliver food at 81 specific stops along 18 routes throughout our district. More specific details are in the works.
Rabun County
Rabun County School Nutrition will provide meals at no cost for all children from 2 to 18 years old. They do not have to be students of Rabun County. Meals will be available on Mondays only; however, they can be picked up for the whole week at this time.
Meals will be available for pickup at
- The Primary School bus loading area from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- The Mountain City Flea Market from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Vista Ridge Apartments on Marson Knob Drive from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Dunlap Apartments from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
- Stavemill Apartments from 10:40 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
- Clayton-Duckett Apartments from 11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Rockdale County Public Schools
The Rockdale County School District will begin mobile meal delivery routes. More information is at www.rockdaleschools.org/COVID19.
**INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED BY 11ALIVE ATLANTA AND CHATHAM COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD**
**INFORMATION WILL BE UPDATED AS NEW INFORMATION IS PROVIDED**