COLUMBIA, S.C. — Richland One is celebrating the distribution of half a million meals across the district to students and families in need during the coronavirus pandemic.
Volunteers drop off meals curbside to the homes of nearly 1,000 Richland One students whose parents can’t get to the distribution sites.
Tracy Dixon, Richland One director of Student Nutrition services talks about the importance and impactd of the program.
"We realized a long time that our district has a need to make sure our students have nutrient meals," says Dixon, "we have a lot of food deserts and we have families who live as far as Eastover and so these meals are critical and important. During the school day our children receive breakfast, lunch, supper and snacks and so with schools being closed we don’t know what our kids are eating when they are not here."
One of the 27 volunteer groups assisting in delivery of the meals is a group called Healthy Learners, a health ministry that works with schools to help with any 'health barriers' like hunger, that make it hard for children to learn.