PRAIRIE GROVE, Ark. — The kitchen at Prairie Grove High School is not closed, but the cooks there have switched from cooking their daily lunches for kids to putting together sack lunches that are delivered by bus routes to make sure kids get food while they are out of school.
“These kids are more than students to us, we love these kids, we really do. We have a deep love for them and we want to make sure they are taken care of,” said Prairie Grove High School cook Shirley Carrier.
Carrier and kitchen manager Samantha Molz say when they knew their kids wouldn’t be filling the cafeteria this week, their first concern was making sure none of them went without.
“If we have a student that’s gone for two or three days we are worrying about them," Carrier said. "You know what’s going on, are they okay and now it’s like are they okay. Doing this is just a little part to make sure they are okay.”
The buses leave from the high school at 11 a.m. each day this week to make sure the sack lunches make it to kids by lunchtime.
Assistant Superintendent David Kellogg says they passed out close to 200 lunches.
“Given the circumstances and everything that is going on, everybody has been so great about pitching in and helping," he said. "We had a few volunteers, not school employees show up yesterday offering to help.”
Kids on the bus route not only got a sack lunch, but they also got milk, juice and something to eat for breakfast the following morning.
The district says they are also offering these meals to other kids who may not be students at Prairie Grove.