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. 2022 Jul;92(7):646-655.
doi: 10.1111/josh.13188. Epub 2022 Apr 5.

Mobilizing and Delivering Essential Meals to Children and Families Affected by School Closures During COVID-19 and Beyond

Benjamin J Ryan  1 , Victoria Telford  1 , Mark Brickhouse  2 , Jacqueline Campbell  3 , Connor Crowe  1 , Rok Fink  4 , Kristy Hatch  3 , Tim Hatch  5 , Reiley Jones  1 , Andrea S Cruz  1 , Cara Allen  6 , Kathy Krey  6 , Jeremy Everett  6 , Lori A Kanitz  6 , Bryan W Brooks  1
Affiliations

Mobilizing and Delivering Essential Meals to Children and Families Affected by School Closures During COVID-19 and Beyond

Benjamin J Ryan et al. J Sch Health. 2022 Jul.

Abstract

Background: The closure of schools in response to COVID-19 compromised access to essential meals for many students. The Emergency Meals-to-You program, a public/private partnership, was set up to address this challenge. More than 38.7 million meals were delivered between April and August 2020. This study explores lessons learned and identifies strategies for strengthening food access and security at schools and beyond.

Methods: Qualitative research methods were used. This included interviews and focus groups with participants involved in setting up and delivering the Emergency Meals-to-You program. Data were thematically analyzed using key phrases, ideas, and concepts, and interpreted.

Results: The program leveraged a multisectoral approach. Components relied on each other and included: schools, public/private partnership, eligibility, relationships, experience, centralized communication, food quality and branding, logistics, and transport. Strategies identified to strengthen food access focused on integration with emergency management structures, understanding food needs at the school level, building a fully procurable menu, and allowing distribution to be rapidly scaled.

Conclusions: The lessons identified and strategies recommended provide a framework for working across the emergency management spectrum (school to national level) to strengthen food access and availability for students and their families affected by a pandemic, disaster, or crisis situation.

Keywords: COVID-19; education; food access; rural; school closure.

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Conflict of interest statement

No conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Description of the eMTY Program Components
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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