JCPS food distribution sites draw long lines; many quickly run out of supplies – Courier Journal

JCPS food distribution sites draw long lines; many quickly run out of supplies – Courier Journal

Ayana Archie
, 
Lucas Aulbach
 
| Louisville Courier Journal

A Jefferson County Public Schools initiative offering two weeks of food for district families has brought out large crowds at distribution sites across Louisville.

Lines have formed at Layne Elementary School and more than 100 other sites across the city, according to JCPS spokesman Mark Hebert. Many sites were expected to run out of food before noon, he said in an email.

At Layne, organizers were out of supplies by 11:30 a.m. Thursday, with dozens of cars still in line.

The JCPS School and Community Nutrition Services Department is behind the initiative. Families in line were to be given two weeks worth of food, including chili, breakfast items, shelf-stable milk, frozen strawberries and other meal kit materials to help them out during the holiday break. 

The food went quickly at many sites. 

Dan Ellnor, nutrition service center manager, said in an interview just before noon that he’d heard between 40 and 50 locations had already closed. Organizers planned to hand out more than 600,000 meals to families in need on Thursday, Ellnor said, and approximately 1 million pounds of food.

Meals will be distributed “until they’re done and they have no more food to give out,” Ellnor said. Meal distribution will resume after winter break.

This story will be updated.

Published at Thu, 17 Dec 2020 17:26:15 +0000