SPS overcomes obstacles to deliver food

Despite a few breaks in the food chain, Spokane Public Schools is finding a way to feed hungry families.

It happened again last Friday, when Nutrition Services Director Doug Wordell and his staff found they were low on milk. As in 4,300 gallons low.

One day later, local supplier Terry’s Dairy came through with enough to make up the shortfall. Some of it was chocolate milk, but that wasn’t the point.

“A lot of folks are stepping up,” Wordell said this week as distance learning began at Spokane Public Schools.

While their kids were home on their laptops, parents fanned out to food distribution centers, which is basically every school in Spokane.

To reduce inconveniences for families, the school staff scrapped daily distribution and prepared five-day meal kits at all 45 buildings.

Demand far exceeded expectations. “We were planning for 8,500,” said Wordell, whose staff ended up handing out about 13,000.

There was plenty of food to go around; however, some families didn’t show up at the locations and times they had signed up for, while others hadn’t registered at all.

That left an abundance of food at some locations and frustrated parents at a few others.

“We felt so badly, but we’re ramping up,” said Wordell, whose crews worked until 6 p.m. at some locations on Monday.

The process will be smoother, Wordell said, if parents preorder by Thursday for the following week’s meal kit. It’s also preferable for parents to stay with the same pickup location while the district is using distance learning.

Pickup times are the same at all 45 locations: Mondays from 11:50 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.; and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. or 11:50 a.m. to 12:50 p.m.

Meals are not being served at the following locations: Pratt, Libby, Montessori, Bryant, The Community School, OnTrack Academy and NEWTech.

The meals are an extension of the U.S.Department of Agriculture’s free summer meals program, which runs through Dec. 31.