CCSD meal sites popularity grows; nearly 38K served some days

Emily Hartung, a senior at Basic Academy of International Studies, rode her bicycle home Tuesday with two plastic bags full of food draped around the handlebars.

The 18-year-old was heading home with free breakfast and lunch for herself and her sister after stopping by her school’s food distribution site on Palo Verde Drive in downtown Henderson.

Hartung — who said she picks up food nearly every weekday — said the bags usually include fruit cups and sometimes yogurt.

She said her mother is a self-employed hairdresser who hasn’t been able to work during the COVID-19 outbreak because hair salons were among the nonessential businesses closed by Gov. Steve Sisolak.

The opportunity to get food at school is “very helpful, to be honest,” she said.

The free meal sites have grown in popularity as the shutdown of schools has dragged on.

As of Monday, CCSD has served nearly 1.8 million meals since the governor closed schools in mid-March, according to the school district. Each student receives breakfast and lunch each day they show up at a distribution site.

Only 3,999 students were served the first day of food distribution March 16. But from March 27 onward, numbers have hovered between nearly 30,000 and nearly 38,000 served daily.

By comparison, the district served 275,000 meals a day when school was in session.

Sisolak announced on April 21 that schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year, with distance learning continuing.

To ensure children in need receive meals, the Clark County School District is providing meals for students at 36 distribution sites. Earlier this month, it added “limited mobility food distribution” at 10 additional schools, according to its website.

Effective Monday, CCSD shifted hours at its food distribution sites to earlier in the morning — 7-10 a.m. That comes as temperatures are expected to climb into triple digits across the Las Vegas Valley.

CCSD parents were notified of the change April 21 via ParentLink, an online portal, the district told the Review-Journal on Tuesday.

“As warmer weather is on the forecast, the Clark County School District food distribution sites will be adjusting serving times,” the school district wrote in the note to parents. “This will help ensure that the food is maintained at a proper temperature, and also to keep our valued team members out of the heat as much as possible.”

Three Square food bank also shifted hours starting Tuesday at 20 of its emergency food distribution sites managed by the nonprofit — some of which are at school campuses. The sites are now open from 8 a.m. until supplies run out.

The popularity of the school distribution sites varies widely.

At Burkholder Middle School on Van Wagenen Street in downtown Henderson, it was quiet around 8 a.m. Tuesday outside the school’s main entrance where food was being handed out. At times, there weren’t any cars or only a few.

But Kelly Elementary School in downtown Las Vegas, where three Nevada National Guard members were helping hand out meals, was busy around 9 a.m., though the surge dissipated in less than an hour.

Dmico Scott walked to the school to pick up meals for her two children, ages 6 and 9.

“It’s been a blessing,” she said, noting that she has been coming to the school every weekday.

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton on Twitter.