- April 18, 2024
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by: Matthew Mounkes
Today, one in four children in the United States could face hunger because of the COVID-19 pandemic as millions of children have lost reliable access to the healthy school meals they depend on. School districts across the country have been challenged more than ever to find ways to get much-needed meals to students as school closures and remote learning models persist.
Kellogg Company and No Kid Hungry announced they are providing Flagler Schools with a $5,000 grant to help support and enhance its school meal program to reach more students.
Angie Bush, Food Service Director for Flagler Schools, and her staff have never stopped serving meals to students since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The district has used a hybrid model of in-person and remote learning, although more students returned to classrooms in January.
Meals are free for all students and anyone 18 or younger in the community. Utilizing mostly grab-and-go bags, Bush and her team serve approximately 6,000 students a day across the district. This includes curbside pickup meals during the week.
One of the biggest challenges the food service team has faced was the temporary closure of its kitchen due to COVID-19 exposure. The grant from Kellogg Company and No Kid Hungry will help the district purchase eight portable carts with temperature-controlled storage and wheels, which will make it easier to serve curbside customers and maintain service if any other kitchen disruptions arise.
“Thank you so much to Kellogg’s and No Kid Hungry for providing Flagler County Schools the opportunity to have equipment that will help us serve our students more effectively and safely.” Bush said. “In this time that we find ourselves in right now, these carts will allow us to be more mobile with our breakfast and more, serving more students and in more locations.”
“We are proud to partner with No Kid Hungry to continue our shared mission to help expand school meal programs, especially during this critical time,” said Jen Roth, general manager K-12, Kellogg’s Away From Home. “We recognize the tremendous efforts of the foodservice team at Flagler County School District who are working tirelessly to help get more meals to more children.”
Flagler Schools is one of 10 schools or school districts across the country receiving $5,000 grants from Kellogg Company and No Kid Hungry to support its school meal programs.
“America’s kids need us,” said Diana Hovey, senior vice president of corporate partnerships at Share Our Strength, the organization behind the No Kid Hungry campaign. "Traditionally, many kids have relied on the meals they get at school each day. But even as school staff and community leaders work to feed students while many school buildings are closed, children are missing the meals they need. We thank our dedicated partner Kellogg for making our critical work possible."
Kellogg’s support of No Kid Hungry contributes to the company’s goal of creating Better Days for 3 billion people by the end of 2030. Over the past five years, Kellogg’s partnership with No Kid Hungry has helped nearly 1 million kids to start their school days with school breakfast. It’s part of our commitment to fighting hunger and helping children reach their full potential. Learn more about how Kellogg is helping to feed people in need at KelloggCompany.com.
