COVID-19/CORONAVIRUS MEDIA COVERAGE
United Fresh Foundation grants fund donations during crisis
April 6, 2020 | The Packer
The United Fresh Start Foundation has started a new program to increase access to fresh produce for children and families, while creating opportunities for foodservice distributors during the COVID-19 crisis.
Cafeteria workers need support during the COVID-19 pandemic
April 5, 2020 | USA Today
The halls of K-12 schools across the country are eerily quiet, as teachers and students stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Yet cafeteria workers are reporting to work, figuring out innovative ways to serve children free, nutritious school meals in the middle of a pandemic that has caused unprecedented job loss and economic upheaval.
A million bananas: Chiquita pitches in during crisis
April 2, 2020 | The Packer
Chiquita Brands International, working with Feeding America, the YMCA, school districts and hospitals, has donated a million bananas during the COVID-19 crisis.
Rainier Fruit, Along With T&G Global Donate Jazz Apples to Local Schools Amid National Quarantine
April 2, 2020 | Perishable News
In light of national, state and local quarantines related to the coronavirus, Rainier Fruit and marketing partner T&G Global have donated more than 12,000 apples and 26,000 plastic bags to the Selah School District to support their “Meals on the Move” program that is preparing and delivering more than 3200 daily meals to local students.
Michigan apple industry donates apples to students
April 1, 2020 | The Packer
Michigan apple grower-shippers, marketers and processors are donating fresh and sliced apples to school district meal pick up sites throughout the state. With schools closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the donations will ensure children receive healthy meal options, according to a news release from the Lansing-based Michigan Apple Committee, which is coordinating the effort. The Food Bank Council of Michigan also is cooperating.
United Fresh partners with School Meals That Rock during COVID-19 school closures
March 31, 2020 | United Fresh
United Fresh wants schools to know that produce foodservice distributors have produce that’s looking for a home, during the COVID-19 crisis. Andrew Marshall, United Fresh’s Director of Foodservice & Foundation Partnerships, coordinated this interview with Dayle Hayes, co-creator of the School Meals That Rock community, to ensure this network of more than 12,000 school nutrition professionals knows they should call their produce distributor to see what’s available for purchase, or in some cases, donation.
WP Rawl stays committed to ensuring access to farm fresh leafy greens amid COVID-19 crisis
March 30, 2020 | WP Rawl
Team members in the Plant Operations department at WP Rawl talk about how they and their teams are working to continue producing the best farm fresh leafy greens every day.
Food Lion to donate 6 million meals amid COVID-19 outbreak
March 31, 2020 | The Produce News
Food Lion Feeds is donating $600,000, the equivalent of 6 million meals, to COVID-19 hunger relief efforts. Of that, $500,000 will be donated locally to community partners in the towns and cities Food Lion serves to help feed students who depend on receiving nutritious meals at school, seniors with limited resources and other neighbors in need impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. The additional $100,000 will be donated to Feeding America to support its overall COVID-19 response efforts.
Ag Challenge to address needs brought on by COVID-19
March 31, 2020 | The Produce News
John D’Arrigo, chief executive officer, president and chairman of the board for D’Arrigo California, is partnering with the Grower Shipper Association Foundation/Ag Against Hunger to create an ag industry-designated charitable giving opportunity. The goal is to help individuals and families who are struggling from food insecurity and the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Oxnard Growers Participate in the Oxnard School District Food Distribution Program
March 30, 2020 | And Now U Know
As demand for fresh produce spikes in the wake of COVID-19, California companies like Bobalu Berries, Chuy & Sons, Duda Farm Fresh Foods, and San Miguel Produce are seeing an unprecedented uptick in produce sales. Each of these companies are working tirelessly to meet the needs for both their customers and the shoppers that peruse their shelves.
North Bay sends apples to schools, food pantries during crisis
March 27, 2020 | The Packer
North Bay Produce, Traverse City, Mich., is continuing its food donation program as the COVID-19 crisis widens. The cooperative of more than 30 growers has donated apples each spring for the past 10 years to Food Rescue, which supplies charities with food every day.
New produce delivery program supports local farmers, hires laid off employees
March 26, 2020 | Cola Daily
The coronavirus crisis has brought many challenges, including the best way to get groceries without risking contagion. Meanwhile, farmers are seeing their crops die in the fields and workers are being laid off because some of their largest customers have shut down. In the Midlands, FoodShare South Carolina and Senn Brothers produce company saw those problems and found a solution that’s a win for all involved.
IUSD partners with non profits to hand out free produce to Inglewood residents
March 26, 2020 | abc news
Inglewood Unified School District announced earlier this week that schools would be closed for the next two weeks, but they also announced that they would be distributing meals daily at seven different locations to students ages two to 19.
A ‘godsend’: Greensboro giveaway helps about 10,000 people in need because of COVID-19 crisis
March 25, 2020 | Greensboro News & Record
About 10,000 people descended on a produce giveaway Wednesday, soberly reinforcing how much area families are struggling to make ends meet as the coronavirus crisis drags on.
The Challenges of Feeding Hungry School Kids in a Time of Crisis
March 25, 2020 | Public Media Group of Southern California
The truth is, it’s hard to feed kids on average days. From pandemics to natural disasters, a crisis only amplifies the challenges school food programs face regularly. The last couple of weeks have demonstrated this, as people and systems respond to COVID-19 and its many unprecedented challenges.
How major US cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago are feeding hungry students amid Coronavirus
March 24, 2020 | MSN
To keep feeding students in need during the COVID-19 pandemic, major school systems like those in New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Chicago have created systems to provide free meals.
Sunkist Growers Donates Fresh Citrus Fruit to California Communities
March 24, 2020 | And Now U Know
Citrus, full of delicious immunity-boosting vitamin C, is essential in our daily lives if you ask me. Sunkist Growers is recognizing that need for many and has announced it will donate three truckloads of fresh California-grown citrus fruit to California schools and food banks.
Bobalu Berries heralds in spring by donating berries to local schools
March 24, 2020 | Blue Book Services
With assistance from the United Fresh Produce Association, the Jones family reached out to the Oxnard School Districts. Quickly, they were able to put a plan in place arranging donations of fresh strawberries to 4,000 elementary school families picking up weekly food packages and thousands of pounds of berries to Oxnard High School District students continuing to eat lunches provided every day.
Local Schools Are Closed, But Much-Needed School Meals are Still Being Served
March 23, 2020 | Kazu
The majority of public school students in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties qualify for free and reduced school meals. With schools shut down everywhere due to the coronavirus, local school districts are stepping up. They’re offering free meals at school sites for all students 18 and younger.
Keany Produce donates to food banks during crisis
March 23, 2020 | The Packer
Keany Produce & Gourmet, Landover, Md., has donated more than $100,000 worth of fresh produce to food banks and other charities during the COVID-19 crisis.
Serving Students Amid Shutdown
March 20, 2020 | The Sampson Independent
During a regular school day, Music teacher Cameron Lauer would have been teaching students music, but his Wednesday was spent directing traffic in the parking lot as parents pulled up to get meals for their kids.
School District Meal Program Rolling Along
March 20, 2020 | The Union-Recorder
Through its first three days the Baldwin County School District’s (BCSD) summer meal program, repurposed for this unexpected time of school closures due to COVID-19, fed about 7,200 meals to around 3,600 kids in the community.
Administrators Try To Serve School Lunch — Without The School
March 19, 2020 | NPR
Many schools are closed around the United States, but many of these kids depend on their schools for free or low-cost meals. School leaders are scrambling to figure out how to get lunch to students.
34 Phoenix-area school districts offering meals during coronavirus closures
March 19, 2020 | AZFamily.com
With many schools closing due to the coronavirus outbreak, many low-income families are scrambling to find foods for their children. Many school districts are working on plans to make sure children don’t starve during this outbreak.
Maryville schools to offer free breakfast and lunch to students 18 and younger
March 18, 2020 | The Daily Times
Maryville City Schools will offer free breakfast and lunch to area students the last week of March and the first week of April. The school system announced Wednesday it would serve the free meals to students 18 and younger on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning March 24 and lasting through April 3.
Evergreen Public Schools delivers meals to kids
March 17, 2020 | The Columbian
In the predawn light Tuesday morning, dozens of bus drivers, school administrators and volunteers converged on the Evergreen Public Schools bus barn to load up for the day. But in the midst of school cancellations due to the coronavirus, it isn’t students hitting the road. It’s thousands of packets of cereal, milk and fixings for handheld pizzas to keep children fed while cafeterias can’t.
Schools serve more than 20 million free lunches every day. If they close, where will children eat?
March 16, 2020 | Washington Post
In Cincinnati, school officials were trying to figure out what kind of nonperishable meals they could distribute to homeless students, who constitute nearly a tenth of the student body. In New Rochelle, N.Y., where residents have been confined to their homes, the National Guard delivered food to needy students. And in Baltimore, a high school senior was contemplating how he would go two weeks without a school lunch.