The Michigan Department of Education has published a map to make it easier for families who rely on schools for meals to find locations where they are being provided.
The meals are being served under the program Unanticipated School Closure Summer Food Service Program and are available to all children at no cost. Children ages zero to 18 may be served up to two meals a day. The program is also open to students with disabilities ages 18 to 26 with an active individual education program.
The Unanticipated School Closure SFSP helps ensure that students who rely on school food do not go hungry during the summer or unexpected closures.
Although “Meet Up and Eat Up” locations are all across the state, many are located around cities like Detroit, Grand Rapids and Lansing. The Department of Education said the map will be updated twice each day while schools are closed.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer closed all K-12 schools on March 12 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. They are set to reopen again in early April.
In addition to the school system, Whitmer closed all bars, theaters and other entertainment venues, as well as restricted restaurants to take-out or delivery only. She also banned any event that gathered more than 50 people indoors.
“My administration will continue to do everything we can to mitigate the spread of the disease and ensure our children, families, and businesses have the support they need during these challenging times,” Whitmer said in a statement. “We are going to pull through this together, just as Michigan has done in the past.”
There are currently 65 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Michigan, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
The map of available meal spots can be found online at: https://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/schoolnutrition/
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with Battleground State News and The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected].
