Burke County, NC – On Saturday, Gov. Roy Cooper announced that starting Monday all North Carolina public schools would close for at least two weeks, leaving many local families wondering where their children will find a steady source of meals during the week. At this time, most parents in surrounding counties have been contacted about free school lunches for their children. If you haven’t heard from your school, please give them a call.
On Sunday, Burke County Public Schools informed parents and guardians in a pre-recorded call sent out to students’ families that BCPS will offer free lunches to students from certain locations.
Additionally, the school system will offer its supper program and provide a free dinner to students at Mountain View Elementary from 5-6:30 p.m. Students will be asked for their names at the supper program, Shuffler said.
Other local businesses offering free meals to students
In response to two-week cancellation, a number of local businesses have stepped up to provide free lunches to children in need, including:
» Old World Baking Comany will offer a free sandwich and drink to children throughout the two week closure at its location at 149 Main St. W in Valdese.
“We do not want any child to go hungry and we realize that many in our area depend on school to get a meal each day,” the company said in a Facebook post.
» Granny’s Country Kitchen in Hickory will offer a sandwich, chips and drink to all K-12 students at its location 2145 N. Center St. in Hickory.
“In response to Gov. Cooper’s suspension of school, we are committed to taking additional necessary steps to protect and assist our community,” the company said on its Facebook page.
