Hunger Heroes in the Face of COVID-19: Southampton Union Free School District
On March 18, 2020, Governor Cuomo announced that school buildings across New York would close due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many nutrition directors and nonprofit leaders only had a few days to figure out how to provide food in a new socially distanced world. Despite these challenges, school districts and community organizations made incredible adjustments to their programs and were able to serve meals to their communities during the crisis. We’re pleased to share the stories of actions taken by some of our grantees during the earliest days of the pandemic.
Southampton, a popular vacation town for many New York City residents in southeastern Suffolk County, is also home to year-round residents who often face poverty and hunger. When the coronavirus pandemic hit New York, Regan Kiembock, Director of Food Services at Southampton Union Free School District, and her staff knew that they would need to continue to serve meals to kids in their Long Island district. They set up a two-pronged approach to meet the needs of all families: meal pick-up at school distribution sites across the community, and a home delivery option for families who were unable to reach the school buildings.
After starting their meal distribution program, Regan and her team began distributing art supplies along with meals to provide an enrichment activity for children while they were staying home. At a distribution site, a woman who regularly picked up meals for her children teared up with emotion when the Southampton staff offered her the art supplies along with the meals. She told the staff members that she had been praying for something for her kids to do while in quarantine.
Moving forward, Regan is focused on ensuring that all kids who need meals are able to access them. She is working with school principals and guidance counselors to ensure that no student in Southampton falls through the cracks.
Luz from Southampton Union Free School District preparing sandwiches
These stories are mirrored in communities across New York and throughout the nation. No Kid Hungry New York is grateful to all the hunger heroes who have adjusted their plans at the turn of a dime to feed kids in their communities. Their dedication and tireless work have ensured that kids have the nutritious meals they need to grow up healthy and strong.