The past 12 months have arguably been some of the most tumultuous for students and their families, but the one thing they haven’t had to worry about as their lives turned upside down is where their next meal would come from. More than 45 food service workers at Carson City School District have worked to safely prep, cook, pack and distribute meals to those who need it in Carson City. There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to keeping kids healthy and fed this year, and school districts across the country quickly adopted new strategies and service models, from delivering scratch-made meals by bus to transforming classrooms into cafeterias. When schools went into “COVID mode” last year, Carson City School District and food service partner Chartwells K12 efforts included serving meals in schools both in cafés and in classrooms based on the hybrid model implemented by the school district and through distribution of multi-meal kits, boxes and portable meals to distance learners and students not attending in person based on the district’s strong hybrid model. “I don’t think any of us knew quite what to expect when schools shut down last year,” Elizabeth Snyder, director of nutrition for Carson City School District, said. “While it’s been difficult, the silver lining of this pandemic is that it showed us what an incredible community we have here. Our teachers, staff, parents, volunteers and our nutrition department staff came together and focused on feeding kids and supporting our community, and for that, we are so grateful.” Carson City School District and Chartwells K12 are providing meals for students in school and remote for the remainder of the academic year and into the summer months. Meals are available for all children 18 and younger in the community and served both in schools and through remote meals provided at each school for distance learners. For information, visit carsoncityschools.com. Daniel Pimm is senior director of dining services with Chartwells
