The Cedar Rapids Community School District is resuming its grab-and-go meal distribution on Wednesday. The program will run for about two weeks before it’s limited to students participating in virtual learning.
From Sept. 2 to 18, the free meals will be available to all children 18 years old or younger from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Individuals can pick up one breakfast and one lunch for each child at five schools around Cedar Rapids.
Grant Wood Elementary, 645 26th St. SE
Johnson STEAM Academy, 355 18th St. SE
Cedar River Academy at Taylor, 720 7th Ave. SW
Wright Elementary, 1524 Hollywood Blvd NE
Roosevelt Middle School, 300 13th St. NW
When picking up meals, families won’t be able to enter buildings and can’t consume the food on-site. There is no identification or paperwork required when picking up the meals.
CRCSD began its grab-and-go meal program on March 23 and continued distributing meals during the summer. Meal distribution ended on Friday, Aug. 7.
The Grab N' Go summer meals program continues from Sept. 2 – 18.
Some schools have been removed as distribution sites due to damage from the August 10 storm.
Please see the attached flyer for more information.#WeAreCRCSD pic.twitter.com/dEfPOLgwpI
— CR Schools (@CRSCHOOLS) August 31, 2020
Starting Monday, Sept. 21 — which is the first day of school for Cedar Rapids students — those participating in virtual learning can begin picking up grab-and-go meals.
These meals will be only available for CRCSD virtual learning students. School districts in Iowa were able to provide grab-and-go meals to everyone under 18 during the spring and summer with permission from the federal and state government. The waivers from the federal and state government have not renewed the waivers that made that possible.
The district announced last week that middle school and high school students (except for Metro High School) will begin the school year online even if families chose the in-person option. Elementary school students will begin the year based on what families chose earlier this month as part of the Return to Learn plan. The changes are due to many school buildings being damaged by the Aug. 10 derecho.
“Meals are charged to student meal accounts according to their free, reduced or full pay meal benefit,” according to the district. “Students who are enrolled in a community eligibility provision (CEP) school are provided meals at no cost.”
Families can pick up meals for all of the virtual learning students at one meal service location. The student’s name or ID number will be needed to pick up meals.
The locations for meal pick-up once school starts are the same as those being used for meal pick-up in early September.
