Santa Clara Unified School District Hands Out Nearly 30,000 Meals to Students

In what has become a picture of the community pulling together, the Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) handed out nearly 30,000 meals to students in a massive effort on Monday.

“What a great day! We did not run out of food at any site. Our staff produced 300 extra meals during meal distribution to ensure that everyone received their meals,” said Karen Luna, SCUSD’s Director of Nutrition Services.

To help families adhere to the statewide shelter in place order, the District’s Nutrition Department packed bags containing nutritious fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy to feed each student for five breakfasts and five lunches.

Luna was ecstatic with how quickly her team pulled together to get the bags packed and ready for distribution.

“As soon as we called them, they all showed up excited to feed our students in the time of crisis,” said Luna. “Our staff has been flexible, fast, and creative to fill this growing need. I have never been so proud to work with a team of people that are willing to put the students’ needs before their own.”

Local elementary, middle and high school principals, teachers and staff pitched in at seven different SCUSD campuses on Monday to hand out the food.

District Superintendent Dr. Stella M. Kemp visited a handful of schools during the distribution and said they were all running “like clockwork.”

“We have an amazing team. The Nutrition Department’s amazing. Our technology put together this really great system for distribution of the Chromebooks and the meals. It’s been awesome,” said Dr. Kemp.

Peterson Middle School Principal Chandra Henry was onsite to oversee both the distribution of Chromebooks and meals at her campus. She says everyone in the District is working together.

“Some of them are people from our site and then other sites in the District. Everyone’s coming together to help,” said Henry.

Ponderosa Elementary School Principal Alissa Meltzer was also at Peterson so that her students saw a familiar face when they drove up.

“It has been very emotional and gratifying to get to see the kids come through the lines. I’ve missed them tremendously and so getting to see just a few of them pass through the lines gives me some additional energy to keep going,” said Meltzer.

Parents like Ramesh says it’s good to know that his daughter will have a healthy and nutritious food, but he says she misses Braly Elementary School.

“She is in first grade and she wants to go back to school,” said Ramesh.

The District is handing out breakfast and lunch for five days. It can be picked up between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Mondays at the following schools:

• Mayne Elementary School, 5030 N First, Alviso
• Don Callejon K-8 School, 4176 Lick Mill Blvd., Santa Clara
• Montague Elementary School, 750 Laurie Ave, Santa Clara
• Wilcox High School, 3250 Monroe St, Santa Clara
• Buchser Middle School, 1111 Bellomy St, Santa Clara
• Peterson Middle School, 1380 Rosalia Ave, Sunnyvale
• Cabrillo Middle School, 2550 Cabrillo Ave, Santa Clara

Additionally, as announced on March 25, starting Thursday, March 26, students now also can pick up free breakfast and lunch bags for weekend meals. Kids living in Santa Clara and signed up for the Santa Clara Unified School District school lunch program can participate in the Healthy Meals Santa Clara program.

On Thursdays from 2 – 3:30 p.m. Pick-up locations:

• Don Callejon School, 4176 Lick Mill Blvd.
  Cabrillo Middle School, 2550 Cabrillo Ave.
  Santa Clara Senior Center, 1303 Fremont St.
  Wilcox High School, 3250 Monroe St.

SCUSD is continuously updating its website with information about Distance Learning and grab and go meals. High school and middle school students started distance learning this week. Elementary school students will start next week.