Newark Schools Pass 1 Million Meal Mark: COVID-19 Relief

NEWARK, NJ — What does a million meals look like? Success, Newark school officials say.

The Newark Public School District recently marked a big milestone, handing out its millionth meal to local students and families since the coronavirus pandemic began in March. It’s an encouraging statistic in a time of uncertainty, administrators said.

When the district made the choice to start the school year with all-online classes, its Food and Nutrition Services Department immediately rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Their first task was steep: make 5,000 meals in just a few days.

Making it a priority to stay consistent with supplying meals to the schools and children of Newark, they created menus, placed orders and used what was already at their disposal to get the job done.

It was a mark they hit, and one which they never looked back from.

Now, seven months later, they’ve added two new locations to the distribution sites and have surpassed 1.2 million meals.

“Food Services has always strived to serve Newark's children and families as best we can,” Executive Director Tonya McGill said.

“We were able to do so during this pandemic with help from our amazing kitchen staff and everyone who came together to ensure that meal distributions did not stop even when remote instruction began,” McGill said.

“We, as a school district pride ourselves in distributing over a million meals during a time such as this one," Superintendent Roger León said. “This stands as a testament to what we are willing to do to ensure that our students are taken care of, no matter what.”

• See related article: Massive Food Giveaway In Newark Feeds 23,000 People
• See related article: 2 Million Meals Distributed In Newark Amid Coronavirus

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2020, more than 54 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.

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