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CROOKSTON SCHOOL DISTRICT FOOD SERVICE TO PROVIDE FREE MEALS DURING DISTANCE LEARNING VIA DELIVERY OR GRAB AND GO

November 17, 2020

The Crookston School District and the Food Service Department will be offering free meals two ways during the switch to distance learning starting Monday, November 23 and running through December 9.

Grab and go meals will be offered from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. out of Highland Elementary School. “That will look similar to how we did it last spring and over the summer,” said Ogaard-Brekken. “Anyone can come and pick up the meals at the front door of Highland Elementary School. The kids don’t have to be present. We will have a food service employee greeting you at the door. All you have to do when arriving at Highland School is tell the food service employee how many meals you need, and you can take it home with you for those students 18 years old and younger.”
You are not required to sign up for the grab and go meals.

Option 2 is a delivery option from November 23 through December 9. The first step for families that want the food delivered is to register online by clicking here.
The drop off period will be 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. “Last spring, we went door to door, and that was very challenging for us, so we require households getting the delivered meals to put out a box or tote, and we will place meals in the box or tote. If you live in an apartment building, just put the box or tote outside the main entrance. We don’t have the ability to go door-to-door, and with COVID, we are trying to be contactless.”

If the boxes are covered with snow, or there are animals that make it unsafe to get to the box, the meals won’t be dropped off. If there is a snowstorm and they can’t deliver the meals, KROX will be alerted, and we will announce the cancelation of delivery if that happens.

Ogaard-Brekken encouraged families wanting to deliver to sign up as soon as possible. “I will send out a confirmation email once we get the request,” said Ogaard-Brekken. “So if you don’t get a confirmation email from me, we haven’t received it yet.”

The Crookston School District and the Food Service Department benefits by serving more meals. “We want people to utilize it. It is good for our program because we get reimbursed for every meal served,” said Ogaard-Brekken. “It is free for everyone, and you’re not taking away from anybody else, and everybody can utilize it.”