Pitching in to help keep kids fed

What do you get when you combine 18 delivery drivers working a combined 24 hours each day on nine routes, with 389 miles traveled each day? In the Medford school district you get the knowledge that 786 of students are getting a nutritious lunch and breakfast while school is suspended under orders of Gov. Tony Evers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The meals are prepared by workers from A’viands at Medford Area Senior High School and every weekday morning Dave Fisher and his crew make up hundreds of bagged lunches and breakfasts. The delivery routes were planned by Krug’s Bus Service to hit the residences where students lived.

The meals are part of a federal food program that ensures students have access to meals during the summer. With school suspended under the ongoing pandemic, the program rolled out to offer meals to young people in the community. Parents may still sign up their children to receive meals by contacting the school district office. In addition to the delivered meals, there is the option for meals to be picked up at school locations, about 150 breakfasts and 150 lunches are picked up each day. In addition, the district has used staff to deliver educational materials to students.

To sign up to received meals parents need to contact the school their child attends. Numbers are as follows: Stetsonville Elementary School: 715-678-2162; Medford Area Elementary School:715-748-2316; Medford Area Middle School: 715-748-2516; Medford Area Senior High: 715-748-5951; Holy Rosary: 715-748-3336 and Immanual Lutheran: 715-748-2891 District administrator Pat Sullivan praised the program and the staff for assisting in helping make sure children in the district had adequate food. He also praised Nestlé Pizza for donating 648 pizzas to the district. Each household with a child that was signed up to receive meals received at least one pizza with those with five or more students receiving two pizzas.

—Brian Wilson, news editor