EVSC partners with AmeriQual for meal kits to local children instead of grab 'n' go meals
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — In an effort to provide more students with safe, secure meals, the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. has partnered with AmeriQual Group to distribute free meal kits to local children.
Along with helping minimize the stress of food service workers and volunteers, the partnership will also reach more students throughout the district. Both the EVSC and the food service company will assist with the production, packaging and administering of meal kits for children 18 and under throughout the community.
Through the partnership, the corporation has bought 12,000 meal kits filled with lunch and breakfast items, which will replace "grab and go" meals.
“I am so proud of the work our food service employees and volunteers have done to prepare and distribute those meals," EVSC Superintendent David Smith said. "However, as we continued to process our system, we really wanted to see how we can make our distribution more secure and feed even more students. That’s where AmeriQual comes in.”
Starting Wednesday, the 15-by-9-inch meal kits will include 20 meals —10 breakfast and lunch meals — that will be good for a two-week period. The district will also provide a gallon and a half of cold milk with each meal kit.
EVSC spokesman Jason Woebkenberg said the meal kits will contain food options that differ from "grab and go" meals. With shared preparation and distribution by EVSC and AmeriQual, children will receive a "wide variety of brand items they're familiar with," he said, unable to give specific examples.
Parents who plan to walk to the pick-up locations are encouraged to bring backpacks, wagons or strollers to carry the large meal packages.
“As a leader in providing innovative solutions in producing, packaging, assembling and distributing high-quality, shelf-stable food products around the world, we are so excited to be able to make a difference for our local community and our local schools," AmeriQual President Dennis Straub said.
Meal kits will be available at current EVSC "grab and go" lunch sites.
Pick up locations include:
Caze Elementary School
Cedar Hall Community School
Deleware Elementary School
Dexter Elementary School
Evans Elementary School
Glenwood Leadership Academy
Harper Elementary School
Hebron Elementary School
Lincoln School
Stringtown Elementary School
Tekoppel Elementary School
Vogel Elementary School
Highland Elementary School
Stockwell Elementary School
Satellite sites also include the Arbors at Eastland, Pleasant Ridge, Howell Baptist Church and Grandin Pointe.
Meals will be available this Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the school sites and various times at the satellite locations.
Unlike "grab and go" meals, EVSC officials said meal kits will be giving out one day during distribution weeks to align with USDA guidelines. The following pickup date is set for May 13.
For a full list of locations and pick up times, visit evscschools.com.