Families picking up free meals in Coeur d’Alene during lunchtime Friday were greeted by a surprise volunteer: Idaho’s governor.

Gov. Brad Little handed out sack lunches to those in need at the Kroc Center, as he praised educators throughout the state and empathized with their struggles transitioning to online learning. He also addressed issues concerning his recently announced plan to reopen Idaho for business.

He even had time to deliver a personal message to the class of 2020, which is missing out on many traditional rites of passage.

Little tried to offer encouragement and support as best he could through his denim blue facemask.

“I was hoping that after the Legislature was over I’d be making a big circle around the state, talking to educators about literacy and about all those other things,” Little said. “But it’s important to support the educators and all the philanthropic things that are being done by communities all over for those people that are falling through the safety nets.”

Little said educators are doing their best to provide instruction and guidance to students, despite the compromised educational structure forced by the pandemic.

“Every state’s going to have to wrestle with this,” he said. “How do we get these kids caught back up?

“Whatever it is – reading, grammar, science – they’re behind for a long time and now we’re going to have to back up and do all kinds of assessments to see how do we get these kids caught back up, on top of the stress they have with their families – particularly ones that are out of work.”

While the educational process relies more and more on technology, Little said that can’t replace the one-on-one students receive with professional educators.

“Kids change, education changes,” he said. “But this is changing the workplace. This is changing health care. This is changing a lot of things. But the tragic thing is all the people that are falling through the cracks at this point in time.”

The federal and state governments are “putting a lot of money into it, trying to fill in that social safety net, but there’s some pretty big holes in it right now.”

Coeur d’Alene Public Schools is distributing more than 2,700 meals per day – over 53,000 in the five weeks since the program started. Parents and students drive though and pick up lunch and the next day’s breakfast, handed out by teachers and other volunteers, at one of 14 sites.

Linda Parkin, an English and creative writing teacher at Coeur d’Alene High School, was one of those volunteers on Friday. She was enthusiastic about the governor’s appearance, which she said appeared to give a lift to the meal recipients.

“I think it’s just such a great opportunity for the people in the Coeur d’Alene community to realize that he’s definitely on their side,” she said. “He’s in touch with what’s going on right now, with people that have businesses, but also for kids in general and how important it is to be making sure that kids are fed, and that, you know, their voices are being heard.”

As for his multifaceted plan to reopen the state for business, Little indicated there will be hurdles but he’s eager to get the state running again, though he stressed it has to be done safely and incrementally.

Little said testing, isolating outbreaks – especially in senior centers and nursing homes – and diligence by every resident in the state are keys to returning “back to normal.” He suggested the amount of citizens protesting for immediate and total reopening are “infinitesimal” compared to those taking a safer, measured approach.

“It’s going to continue to take the incredible sacrifices that people are making about social distancing, about wearing a mask when they go out, about hygiene, about washing their hands,” Little said. “The only reason we’re where we are is because of the, to me, almost incredulous adoption of those best practices by the people of Idaho.”