COVID-19: Meal Distribution
When the Hawaii State Department of Education extended its spring break in March 2020, and later closed school campuses because of the coronavirus, there was a tremendous need to continue feeding our keiki during Hawaii’s state of emergency.
School Food Services Branch (SFSB) stepped up to immediately assist with the situation by creating a new COVID-19 meal distribution system for breakfast and lunch. Cafeteria managers and their staff across the state began implementing a grab-and-go meal process for all children ages 18 years and younger.
Please see below for the latest information about our meal distribution programs as we continue to live in unprecedented times.
DOE School Meals Program Wraps Up With Over 1.3 Million Meals Served
The following news article appeared on KHON 2 News on July 17, 2020.
The Department of Education Grab-and-Go school meals program wrapped up Friday after more than four months of service.
The program provided over 1.3 million school meals to children 18-years-old or younger at nearly 80 public schools on Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Hawaii Island from March 23 through July 17.
The program provided free breakfasts and lunches to all children regardless of their enrollment at public, private or homeschools or eligibility for free and reduced-price meals.
Distributing 750 ‘Aina Pono Face Masks
More than 80 Hawaii public schools will be receiving ‘Aina Pono face masks, courtesy of School Food Services Branch. The masks were created as a way to thank our cafeteria managers and their staff for stepping up to feed Hawaii’s children during the COVID-19 school closures and the Summer Meals program.
Summer Meals Begin May 29
This summer, breakfast and lunches will continue to be offered to students as grab-and-go meals only, due to the coronavirus.
Starting on Friday, May 29, 2020, designated Hawaii public schools will be offering free meals to all children ages 18 years old and younger as follows:
- Breakfast: 7:30 to 8 a.m.
- Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 12 noon
For food safety and quality, breakfast must be consumed by 10 a.m., and lunch must be consumed by 2 p.m.
Breakfast and lunch are free of charge, regardless of eligibility for the Free and Reduced Price Meals Program. Children do not have to be public school students, and do not need to be enrolled at the school that is distributing the meals.
Parents and caregivers who pick up meals must be accompanied by a child, according to USDA requirements. If the child is not present, the parent or guardian must provide one of the following documents for verification:
- Official letter or email from school listing the child enrolled
- Recent student report card(s)
- Attendance record(s) from parent portals of school websites
- Birth certificate of child
- Student ID card
- Driver’s permit/license for high school student
- State-issued ID of the student.
For special diet accommodations, please send an email to specialdiets@k12.hi.us with as much details as possible.
Most grab-and-go summer meal locations will continue operating Monday through Friday, except State holidays, until July 17, 2020. All meals are to be consumed away from the school cafeteria.
*Important note: Some locations may have changed, while some sites serve lunch only. Please see the interactive Google map below for more information and to obtain directions to each site by clicking on the utensil icons.
Schedules are subject to change at the discretion of the schools, without notice.
Pilot Program Offers Mail-Order Meals for Students
School Food Services Branch will be joining a national meal program called, “Emergency Meals-to-You,” and conducting a delivery service pilot on Hawaii Island during the coronavirus pandemic.
Starting on May 11, 2020, Honaunau, Hookena and Konawaena elementary schools will offer a mail-order system that will provide its students with two weeks of shelf-stable breakfast and lunch meals.
“This new pilot meal program will help our students who live in remote communities overcome the transportation challenges that prevent them from picking up meals at an emergency meal school site,” said Assistant Superintendent Randall Tanaka. “By mailing these meals to our students’ home, they are able to receive the nutritious meals without having to leave their residence during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Meals will be reimbursable by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In order to qualify, the child must be enrolled in a Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) school that:
1) is not participating as an emergency meal site, and
2) serves at least 50 percent free and reduced price meals in a rural community.
“Our goal is to be able to support our students who participate in USDA’s Free and Reduced Price School Meal Program,” said Tanaka. “We understand the financial struggles many families are facing, so we are continuing to find innovative methods to help out our students in these communities.”
Emergency Meals-to-You will continue through June 2020.
May 1: School Lunch Hero Day
The following Instagram post by Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation appeared on May 1, 2020, for School Lunch Hero Day.
Families Encouraged to Apply for Free and Reduced Price Meals
Due to the financial changes caused by the coronavirus pandemic, School Food Services Branch is encouraging families to apply for the Free and Reduced Price Meal program by filling out an application at www.EZMealApp.com. The online program will guide parents and guardians through an easy step-by-step process.
Applications may be submitted at any time during the school year due to a change in financial status or number of dependents.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), if parents and guardians are eligible for unemployment compensation or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), they may also be eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.
Children from households with income at or below the USDA’s Income Eligibility Guidelines are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. These guidelines are effective from July 1 through June 30 every year.
Family status is carried forward from the previous year for the first 30 days of the new school year. Thus, families will need to re-apply for their benefits at the beginning of every new school year.
For more information, please check with your child’s school.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Hawaii Public Schools Begin Free Meal Service During Spring Break
The following photo gallery appeared in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on March 23, 2020.
Note: These photos were taken by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, prior to Governor David Ige’s proclamation that required mandatory face masks in Hawaii beginning on April 17, 2020.
Hawaii Public School Cafeteria Workers Begin Free Meal Service
The following article appeared in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on March 23, 2020.
Public school cafeteria workers distributed 1,089 breakfasts and 2,603 lunches to children Monday, the first day of the free Grab-and-Go meal service for students on Oahu, Maui, Hawaii island and Kauai.
Note: These photos were taken by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, prior to Governor David Ige’s proclamation that required mandatory face masks in Hawaii beginning on April 17, 2020.
Free Grab-and-Go Meals for Keiki Until May 28
As of Monday, March 23, 2020, children ages 18 years and younger can pick up grab-and-go meals, courtesy of the Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) and School Food Services Branch (SFSB), as approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs (HCNP).
Breakfast and lunch are free of charge, regardless of eligibility for the Free and Reduced Price Meals Program. Children do not have to be public school students, and do not need to be enrolled at the school that is distributing the meals.
Parents and caregivers who pick up meals must be accompanied by a child, according to USDA requirements. If the child is not present, the parent or guardian must provide one of the following documents for verification:
- Official letter or email from school listing the child enrolled
- Recent student report card(s)
- Attendance record(s) from parent portals of school websites
- Birth certificate of child
- Student ID card
- Driver’s permit/license for high school student
- State-issued ID of the student.
For special diet accommodations, please send an email to specialdiets@k12.hi.us with as much details as possible.
Breakfast is served from 7:30 to 8 a.m., and lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 12 noon, Monday through Friday, except State holidays. For food safety and quality, breakfast must be consumed by 10 a.m., and lunch must be consumed by 2 p.m. All meals are to be consumed away from the school cafeteria.
Please see the interactive Google map for more information and directions to each site. Schedules are subject to change at the discretion of the schools, without notice.
Grab-and-go meals will continue to be offered until Thursday, May 28, 2020, which is the last day for students in the 2019-2020 school year.