By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–With Union City Schools now closed for three weeks, system personnel and volunteers hit the streets Monday with nearly 1,000 meals and snacks prepared by cafeteria workers. It was the Union City Schools’ version of “Meals on Wheels.”
Monday was the first day of a feeding program designed to provide food to any child under 18 in the Union City area during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Union City Schools will remain closed until April 13 in attempts to practice social distancing and due to the coronavirus concerns. That period includes the system’s already-scheduled Spring Break (April 6-10), when meals will not be served.
Director of Food Services Nan Tilghman and her staff of 17, which included workers from all three campus cafeterias, reported between 6 and 7 a.m. Monday to prepare a sack meal that included lunch and an afternoon snack for any child under 18 who showed up along the UC schools’ eight bus routes or at two “grab-and-go” locations.
Tilghman said gesture and effort – designed to provide those both in need and those simply wanting to take care of the school system’s gesture after classes were canceled due to concerns over the coronavirus and its spreading – was rewarding.
“To know that we provided for children, some of whom might not have had anything to eat, was just a humbling experience,” said Tilghman, who lauded the efforts of her entire cafeteria crew as well as the volunteers who helped distribute the meals. “To see their faces along the many bus routes or at the other two places… for many of them, it was the closest thing to normalcy they had during these confusing and scary times.
“It was worth the extra effort that everyone involved in the project put forth.”
Workers took all the necessary precautions when packing the food and drink, all wearing gloves and using plenty of hand sanitizer and Lysol spray that were readily available.
UC Director of Schools Wes Kennedy said plans are for the practice to continue the remainder of this week and next week unless there are further developments in the attempts to curb the spread of the COVID-19.
Meals will continue to be prepared at both Union City Elementary School and UC High School and buses will leave those locations at 10:30 each morning on their regular routes to deliver the food. The pick-up time for Save-A-Lot and Kiwanis Park will continue to be 10:30 a.m.
Tilghman claimed there would be “something warm” for children to eat each day, and “not just sandwiches.” Hamburgers, corndogs, vegetables and fruit are all on the menu as the program continues.
Union City Schools will remain closed until April 13 in attempts to practice social distancing and due to the coronavirus concerns. That period includes the system’s already-scheduled Spring Break (April 6-10), when meals will not be served.