Boxes and bags of food were piled high Tuesday morning in the parking lot of the Open Heart United Methodist Church in Rapid City, next to South Middle School.
The church handed out sack lunches while Feeding South Dakota gave out packages totaling 15 to 20 pounds each – including pasta, canned fruits and veggies, cereal and frozen meat.
It was one of several ways people across South Dakota are providing food for kids who are out of school this week because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The Rapid City distribution was scheduled to last an hour. Within the first half-hour, about 50 vehicles came through as workers and volunteers passed food through a window or put it in trunks or pickup boxes.
Coya Smashed Ice stopped to pick up food for her family, including four kids who are out of school this week.
“Actually I am glad to see this happening for people because there’s a lot of people who need it and who could put it to good use,” she said.
Feeding South Dakota is doing distributions this week in Rapid City and nearby communities, and in Sioux Falls. The organization is partnering with schools to get the word out to families who need the service.
Feeding South Dakota Operations Director Lesa Jarding said, “We’re doing this because we believe in making sure people consistently have access to food.”
In Rapid City, no school lunches are available this week, but families are encouraged to use Feeding South Dakota’s services. If the school closure continues next week, the district is planning to make food pick-up available at multiple school sites. The Sioux Falls School District has already offered food pick-up at several schools this week.
On the state Department of Education’s website, there is a daily updated list of schools that are providing some kind of food service during the coronavirus school closure. Dozens of schools were on the growing list as of Tuesday.