[Contact: Johanna Elsemore @ jelsemore@strength.org]
With schools closed statewide due to COVID-19, No Kid Hungry is encouraging families to text FOOD or COMIDA to 877-877 to find free food distribution sites organized by school districts in their communities.
All Texas public schools are closed in response to the coronavirus, impacting more than 5.3 million students across the state. More than 2.6 million kids in Texas rely on the free and reduced-price meals they receive at school.
School districts, food banks and other community partners across the state have stepped up to make sure kids continue to get the nutrition they need during this crisis, finding new, innovative ways to safely provide meals. They are offering a variety of food distribution models to help safely connect students with meals, including “Grab and Go” service at schools and food delivery along bus routes.
“During this pandemic, we need to make sure kids who rely on meals at school continue to have access to the important nutrition they need,” said No Kid Hungry campaign Director Lucy Coady. “One of the most important things people can do right now is spread the word about how to find those meals. We need to make sure families know these free meals are available and that sites can be found using the texting line.”
No Kid Hungry organizes the texting line and continues to update the service with new information. Families are also encouraged to visit their school district’s website and to check social for meal distribution details.