By Sue Moore
Schoolcraft serves about 160 to 170 families per week in its pickup and delivery food program, according to Brenda Lynn, head of food services.
A special treat for the Schoolcraft families the last Wednesday in May was 100 hot pizzas donated by Little Caesars in Schoolcraft. It’s all about the company’s “Pay it Forward” effort, Lynn said. “During the school year we pay for at least 250 pizzas each week as a regular part of our meal program. We also have a fruit and vegetable for lunch every day.”
Lynn tries to place her food order three weeks in advance. Besides Gordon Food Service, she also uses Van Eerden Foodservice as a second source. “It’s nice to deal with two companies. Our food service staff of five takes about three hours each week to organize and bag the meals. Then three people start delivering in cars, up to 32 families along with their school work. Our drive-up hours are 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. on Wednesdays. “We are doing the assembly in bulk and packing it all in one sack, like a bag of groceries,” Lynn said. School social work staff Michelle Schneider, Shelby Getsinger and Stefanie Dunham help with the distribution.
Besides working from home, Lynn comes into the high school three days a week. Everybody on her staff is employed with some of them tutoring young students via zoom and Google classroom.
The current food program is allowed to operate until June 30. Lynn figures she will continue up to that date. Then summer feeding will take over only for school districts in which at least 50 percent of children are eligible for free and reduced lunch programs. Schoolcraft doesn’t qualify; 26 percent of its students are eligible. Lynn plans to give out get maps to families so they will know where continuing Kalamazoo County summer programs are available.