One million meals served to W.Va. students during COVID-19 pandemic

By Jordan Hatfield The Register-Herald

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West Virginia Superintendent of Schools W. Clayton Burch announced Friday more than one million meals have been provided to West Virginia children during coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

As the pandemic has evolved, the WVDE and counties throughout the state have been making efforts to support the children. Efforts have transitioned from a triage model to a sustainable approach to provide for children’s nutritional and academic needs, WVE officials reported.

During Friday’s press conference, Gov. Justice thanked all those who have been contributing to the meal distribution.

“For those at the Department of Education, National Guard, the county school offices and individual schools, our restaurants and retailers – everyone that has made this happen, I thank you so much and I know that you are still at it every day,” Justice said. “Keeping our children fed and cared for during this pandemic is vitally important.”

“We will continue to feed children during the school closure and also to ensure that our schools remain engaged with students and families,” Burch added. “Teaching and caring for children is at the very core of what we do as educators, and our counties and schools continue to step up in amazing ways to meet the needs of children.”

The state’s National Guard, Department of Agriculture and Division of Tourism have also worked to provide nutritional stability for the state’s students.

“The one-million-meal milestone illustrates that even in the face of unprecedented events in the state and around the world, West Virginians will always take care of West Virginians,” Burch said.

To continue to meet the nutritional needs of West Virginia’s children, most counties are transitioning to multi-day meal packs that are distributed one or two days each week. For the latest information regarding local food distribution for children, visit https://wvde.us/covid19/feeding-site-information/ or call your local county school office.