500,000 Meals

School District Serves More Than 500,000 Meals During COVID-19
Posted on 03/29/2021
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The past 12 months have arguably been some of the most tumultuous for students and their families, but the one thing they haven’t had to worry about as their lives turned upside down is where their next meal would come from. The dedicated school lunch heroes at Carson City School District have worked tirelessly to safely prep, cook, pack, and distribute meals to those who need it in Carson City. There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to keeping kids healthy and fed this year, and school districts across the country quickly adopted new strategies and service models, from delivering scratch-made meals by bus to transforming classrooms into cafeterias.

When schools went into “Covid mode” last year, Carson City School District and foodservice partner Chartwells K12 went above and beyond to feed students and families. Efforts included: Serving meals in schools both in Cafés and in classrooms based on the Hybrid model implemented by the school district and through distribution of multi-meal kits, boxes, and portable meals to distance learners and students not attending in person based on the district’s strong Hybrid model.

“I don’t think any of us knew quite what to expect when schools shut down last year,” said Elizabeth Snyder, Director of Nutrition for Carson City School District. “While it’s been difficult, the silver lining of this pandemic is that it showed us what an incredible community we have here. Our teachers, staff, parents, volunteers, and our nutrition department staff, came together and focused on feeding kids and supporting our community, and for that, we are so grateful.”

Chartwells K12 has worked with Carson City School District and thousands of other schools to ensure students across the country do not go hungry. Every day, more than 45 essential food service workers in the Carson City School District have been dedicated to keeping “lunchtime” a bright spot during an otherwise uncertain time. To date, Chartwells K12 has served more than 275 million meals since the pandemic began across the country.

“Our number one priority is making sure we are feeding kids and keeping them happy and healthy, no matter where they are,” said Dan Pimm, Senior Director of Dining Services for Chartwells K12. “As more students return to school, we’re prepared to serve them safely and for those who stay home, they can depend on us for their next meal.”

Carson City School District and Chartwells K12 are providing meals for students in school and remote for the remainder of the academic year and into the summer months. Meals are available for all children 18 and under in the community and served both in schools and through remote meals provided at each school for distance learners. For more information and to stay up-to-date on meals, deliveries and more, please visit: carsoncityschools.com.

By Daniel Pimm, Senior Director of Dining Services with Chartwells.

About Chartwells K12

Chartwells K12’s goal is to make sure students leave the cafeteria happier and healthier than they came in, by serving food kids love to eat and creating custom dining programs. With more than 16,000 associates in 4,500 schools, ranging from large public institutions to small charter and private schools, Chartwells K12 is built on decades of food, education and operational experience driven by top culinary, nutrition, wellness, and sustainability talent. For more information, visit www.ChartwellsK12.com.