Despite the Spring break and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Springs has continued to provide breakfast and lunch service to families in hardship situations.
Sites that have been providing “grab-and-go” service include: the Vista, Temecula, Murrieta, Bear River, Del Rio, Corona, Hemet Quest, Magnolia and Riverside Student Centers, Renaissance Valley Academy and the Rancho Cucamonga Personalized Learning Center. The meal service was able to continue after school sites were ordered closed, said, Holly Hungerford Cocking, Director Nutrition Services, but “we all had to make a drastic shift in our meal service programs very VERY quickly.”
In addition to serving Springs students, Springs provided meals to students of nearby districts which had suspended service. Families arrive to pick up lunch and breakfast for the next day for every child in the household and take the food home to be eaten there.
Holly continued, “This health crisis caused a massive life change for everyone, and families that rely on school meals for their children were not prepared to suddenly have them at home full time. Factor in the loss of income or health and more families than ever may be struggling to make ends meet under increasingly scary circumstances. It’s increasingly critical that we continue providing access to meals for children to keep our community healthy and resilient.”
