Rowan-Salisbury Schools summer meals program starts today

Published 12:00 am Thursday, June 3, 2021

SALISBURY — Rowan-Salisbury Schools is bringing back summer meals this week.

Today is day No. 1 for the summer meals program. Otherwise, students will be able to get meals Monday through Friday. There will be more than a dozen physical locations throughout the county and about two dozen mobile sites serving meals throughout the day. Most sites will only serve lunch, though a few physical sites will offer breakfast as well. The meals are free for any child ages three to 18.

RSS Nutrition Director Lisa Altmann said the program is expecting to serve about 7,200 lunches per day and 216,000 during the summer.

Altmann said preparation previously was run out of Carson High School, but this year the program will also use the kitchens at Millbridge and Koontz elementary schools. Altmann said the change will help keep staff spaced out and should help the program run more smoothly.

Last year, the normal program was put on hold so the district could start a district-wide delivery program along bus routes that distributed thousands of meals every day. The district saw an increased need for food, and last year’s program was made possible by a litany of waivers.

Altmann said scaling up that program was not a problem because all of the district’s kitchens were open. The only challenge was getting enough supply.

“We felt it was in the best interest of our program to get back to as much normalcy as possible,” Altmann said.

There are still a few waivers in place for this year. Students will be able to take meals home with them if they choose because of a non-congregant meals waiver.

“I don’t like to think about kids not having food,” Altmann said.

RSS runs its summer meals differently compared to most districts, which have pickup sites. The program’s bused meals and litany of sites are intended to reach more people.

When looking to staff the program, the department made a point of letting people know it will be more normal this year and the department no longer needs other bus drivers for the program.

Altmann said the program will not have the literacy component this year because of the district’s expanded summer school, but she hopes to bring that part of the program back.

Local nonprofit Bread Riot is working with the district again to offer fresh local produce at some sites. Bread Riot President Dottie Hoy said the district helps the nonprofit figure out the best locations to bring produce.

The nonprofit will bring produce to two sites per day three times per week, and the program is supported by $8,500 in grant funding.

Here is a list of the physical sites, not including mobile locations:

At the Cross Ministries
201 West D Avenue, Salisbury: 12:50 p.m., June 3 – July 29. Lunch.

Emmanuel Youth Experience, Inc.
306 Barbour Street, East Spencer: 9:15 a.m. and 12:35 p.m., June 21 – June 25, July 19 – July 29. Breakfast,
lunch.

First Presbyterian Church
308 West Fisher Street, Salisbury: 11:35 a.m. June 7 – July 29. Lunch. Closed on Fridays.

J. Fred Corriher, Jr. YMCA
950 Kimball Road, China Grove: 8:35 a.m. and 12:05 p.m., June 3 – July 29. Breakfast, lunch

J.F. Hurley Family YMCA
828 Jake Alexander Blvd. W, Salisbury: 7:45 a.m. and 11:05 a.m., June 3 – July 29. Breakfast, lunch.

Progressive Outreach Ministry
335 Swink Avenue, Salisbury: 9:15 a.m. and 12:35 p.m.,June 3 – July 29. Breakfast, lunch.

Saleeby-Fisher YMCA
790 Crescent Road, Rockwell: 8 a.m. and 11:45 a.m., June 3 – July 29. Breakfast, lunch.

Salisbury Housing Authority
East Lafayette 1042 East Lafayette Street, Salisbury: 9:45 a.m. and 1:15 p.m., June 3-July 29. Breakfast, lunch.

Salisbury Housing Authority Linn Lane Apartments
Shelter at Linn Lane, Salisbury: 10:45 a.m., June 3 – July 29. Lunch.

Salisbury Housing Authority Brookview Apartments
711 South MLK Jr. Avenue, Salisbury: 12:35 p.m., June 3 – July 29. Lunch

Salisbury Housing Authority Pine Hill Apts.
410 West 15th Street, Salisbury: 7:45 a.m. and 11 a.m., June 3 – July 29. Breakfast, lunch.

Save the Children Community Center
102 South Long Street, East Spencer: 9 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., June 3 – July 29. Breakfast, lunch.

The Salvation Army
620 Bringle Ferry Road, Salisbury: 12:45 p.m., June 3 to July 29. Lunch.

To view a full schedule and list of summer meals sites, go to https://www.rssed.org/district-post/~board/news-all-schools/post/summer-meals-program-begins-june-3

About Carl Blankenship

Carl Blankenship has covered education for the Post since December 2019. Before coming to Salisbury he was a staff writer for The Avery Journal-Times in Newland and graduated from Appalachian State University in 2017, where he was editor of The Appalachian.

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