By: Blake Alsup
Lee County
• The Tupelo/Lee County Hunger Coalition will provide free meals for children this week to students 18 years old or younger from Tuesday, March 17, through Friday, March 20, at these locations and times:
11 a.m. – Chandler’s Temple CME Church – 114 Holloway Avenue, Verona
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Hilldale Apartments
12 p.m. – Boys & Girls Club N. Green Street, Kirkwood Apartments, Nathaniel’s Place (near Barley Court), Saltillo Community Center, South Park Manor, Tupelo Housing Authority on Lawhon, Tupelo Trace Apartments
12:30 p.m. – Boys & Girls Club Haven Acres
1 p.m. The Glen at Kirkwood
Lunches will be available at Sycamore Church on Wednesday, March 18 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for students who receive free or reduced lunch.
• Tupelo Public School District will offer drive-thru breakfast and lunch meals to all children under 18 beginning March 19 from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. each day at ECEC (in front of cafeteria), Lawhon Elementary (front side of school between office and gym), Pierce Street Elementary (front side of school at car line pick-up), Lawndale Elementary (back parking lot at bus pick-up) and Rankin Elementary (front side of school at gym entrance car line pick-up.) Children must be present to claim their meal.
• Lee County School District will offer grab-and-go meals beginning Monday, March 23, for free to all children under 18. They do not have to be a Lee County student. Meals will be distributed on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon via car rider and/or bus lines at the following schools: Shannon Middle/High School, Plantersville Middle School, Saltillo High School, Verona Elementary School, Mooreville Elementary School and Guntown Middle School. Children must be present to claim their meal, and meals will be sold to adults for $3.00. Exact change is required.
• The Guntown Middle School food pantry will be open on Wednesday, March 18, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. to assist GMS students, families and anyone in the community who is in need of food or supplies. Contact Vanessa Washington at vanessa.washington@leecountyschools.us for more information.
• Shannon High School – More than 150 bags of food provided by Mayor Ronnie Hallmark’s office and several area churches will be distributed at Shannon High School beginning at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 18. One bag per child will be provided to students in need who attend Shannon Primary, Shannon Elementary, Shannon Middle and Shannon High.
• Mooreville Middle School will provide food boxes to students from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18.
• Baldwyn School District will provide breakfast and lunch boxes for free to children under 18 on Monday, March 23, and Wednesday, March 25, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Adults may purchase a meal for $3.00.
• Lunches will be served at Oak Creek Apartments beginning Thursday, March 18, at noon.
• St. Luke Food Pantry (2653 S. Eason Blvd.) will be open Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon. Clients are asked to remain in their cars and have a photo ID ready to show.
Lafayette County
• Oxford School District will provide grab-and-go meals in various locations across the district starting Tuesday, March 17, from 9 a.m. to noon each day. Meals will be available for all children, not just OSD students.
• Lafayette County School District will provide grab-and-go meals for students beginning Thursday, March 19, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. each day. Pickup locations include: Abbeville Baptist Church, Harmontown Fire Department, Paris Fire Department, Philadelphia Fire Department, Denmark Store, Taylor Grocery parking lot, Anchor Baptist Church, New Prospect Baptist Church and the LHS parking lot.
Pontotoc County
• Spuds in Pontotoc will offer free sack lunches to kids affected by school closings beginning Tuesday, March 17, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Tippah County
• South Tippah School District will provide grab-and-go meals at the Ripley Elementary School cafeteria for free to anyone 18 years old and younger on Wednesday, March 18, and Thursday, March 19, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• First Baptist Church in Ripley will prepare 625 sack lunches on March 16 and 17 for pickup at the Family Life Center between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Families who need lunches for the entire week can pick them up from 5 to 7 p.m. on those days.
Union County
• First Baptist Church in New Albany will prepare 500 sack lunches Monday through Friday and distribute from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to any child in the elementary, middle or high school in New Albany. The lunches will be free and can be picked up at the Family Life Center, located behind First Baptist Church and the Union County Courthouse on Main Street.
Alcorn County
• Alcorn School district will provide grab-and-go meals free for students while schools are out. Breakfast and lunch may be picked up together from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. each day. Meals may be picked up outside the cafeteria, without having to get out of your vehicle. If you are unable to pick up the meals, please notify the office at your school and they will try to have the meals delivered. The student must be present to receive the meal, per the Mississippi Department of Education.
