West Elementary School counselor Elizabeth Shaddix packs food in March 2020.

There are many children who rely on school meals as their only food for the day, and with schools across the state closing for the next three weeks, a group of parents and organizations are working together to provide enough food for the city’s students.

West Elementary School counselor Elizabeth Shaddix said the city’s counselors got together Sunday to organize the meals for students who would be in need of food over the COVID-19 closure, and donations came in from parents and a group of churches and organizations that included Cullman First United Methodist, Grace Chapel Community Church, Cullman First Baptist, Desperation Church and The Link of Cullman County.

She said said there are around 70 students at West Elementary who are in the “Knapsacks for Kids” program, which usually provides food for students to eat over the weekend. The school was able to gather enough food Monday to hopefully feed those students for the three weeks that they are going to be out of school. 

She said at least 150 bags of food were collected, organized and ready to send out in less than three hours Monday morning, and students and families who were unable to come pick up their food had it delivered by a volunteer. 

Monday’s work at West Elementary was just part of the city school system’s effort to feed students who are in need, as East Elementary and Cullman City Primary School also had an outpouring of donations and volunteers, Shaddix said. 

“We have a lot of people who wanted to help, and that speaks volumes of Cullman,” she said. “As a counselor, it brings a lot of security knowing that when you need help and ask for it, people will help in whatever way they can.”

If there are any Cullman residents who missed out on Monday’s donations but still want to help feed the community’s children during this unexpected break, they can bring their donations to The Link of Cullman County, located at 708 9th Street SE, Shaddix said. 

Cullman County Schools Superintendent Susan Patterson said the system is also planning to provide cafeteria produce to parents who can come to the schools so it doesn’t all go to waste, and is also making a plan to provide at least a couple meals for city students in West Elementary’s cafeteria during the closure. 

She said the details for the meals had not been worked out Monday morning, but a call will be made to parents to let them know the days that meals will be available once they are are finalized.

Patterson said she was happy to see the number of people and groups who got together so quickly to help feed the city’s students, along with several teachers who have said they would volunteer to help out their students during the next few weeks.  

“I’m always amazed at how many volunteers we have and people who are willing to help,” she said.

Students in Cullman County who are in need of a meal during the three-week school closure caused by COVID-19 will have several opportunities for free meals from local schools.

Fairview High School, Good Hope High School, Hanceville High School, Harmony School, Holly Pond High School, Vinemont High School and West Point High School will all be open for lunch pickups over the next two weeks, from 10 a.m. to noon.

The remaining meals will be on March 20, March 23, March 25 and on March 27, and pickup will be from 10 a.m. to noon on each day.