ACS Food Service remains steadfast during uncertainty of COVID-19 crisis

MEAL PREPARATION – Diane Ernst, left, and Michelle Livergood prepare ham and cheese wraps for student lunches.  Mary Lou Groff works in the background.

by Sharon Catalano

Last week’s front-page photo stretched across the entire width of this paper, prominent and above-the-fold.  A line of cars to the left of the pylons made a procession in front of the main entrance of our public K-12 school.  Unless you were in one of those vehicles or one of the many that followed, you likely had no idea what was depicted without reading the caption. It was a drive-up service for meals, provided for schoolchildren on hiatus from school, during the COVID-19 health crisis and school closure.  In the week that followed, the photo has raised many questions, which this story will answer.

The New York State Governor’s executive order continues to mandate the current meal program with funding through the USDA Child Nutrition Program during the health crisis created by the coronavirus or COVID-19.  Meals are available to any school-age children living in the district, not just those who normally receive free or reduced meals during the regular school year.  The course of this historic event is constantly changing and for some families, the health crisis has already resulted in layoffs or reductions in pay, making the meal program a safety net for even more families who may not have anticipated the need.

On a regular day at Akron Schools, approximately 800 lunches are produced for the three buildings.  There are three cafeterias and three kitchens staffed with cooks, helpers and cashiers to help feed nutritious meals for more than half of the approximately 1,350 attending students.

The meals being produced during the school closure include both breakfast and lunch. The original plan was to have meal pick-up five days a week.  However, as the health situation has devolved, the decision to reduce the number of pick-up days is intended to help reduce the potential for exposure for both the food service staff and those accepting meals.  A Monday, Wednesday and Friday pickup schedule has ensued.  Therefore, on Mondays and Wednesdays, families are receiving four meals, a breakfast and a lunch intended for each of the following two days.  That is 3,200 meals that are prepared, bagged and distributed on both Mondays and Wednesdays and another 1,600 meals distributed on Fridays for a total of 8,000 meals each week!

Mrs. Barbara Goodman, ACS Food Services Director, leads her staff as a licensed nutritionist who has worked for Akron Schools for 31 years.

“I’m extremely proud of my staff and what they’ve accomplished thus far during this health crisis,” she said.  “They are qualified professionals who have received mandated training to perform their jobs – and with no extra benefits during this health event.  So, not just anyone can come in and perform these duties without the training they have received.”

At the start of each team member’s shift, they’re taking their temperature as a precaution.  They follow the state and federal guidelines for protection as they work and encourage each other to be smart to remain healthy.  They know that if just one of them contracts the virus, the whole operation will be shut down – a real fear considering all the families who are accepting and depending on the meals. They cannot accept the cards and letters of thanks and encouragement that have been offered by parents and students who come through the drive-thru as they are committed to minimizing interaction to reduce the chance of contracting the virus, but it really lifts the crews’ spirits and they’re grateful for the appreciation they’ve been shown.  They’ve hustled through the cold and rain to keep the line moving quickly and parents recognize their efforts.

One of the challenges has been a change in ordering – there’s competition from other schools who are also ordering differently from the usual school lunches.  They all must still follow the USDA nutrition guidelines and continue to use the same funding.

CAFETERIA MEAL BAGGING – ACS food service workers set up brown bags in the elementary cafeteria and fill with breakfast or lunch meals.

Since all the meal prep and bagging has been consolidated at the elementary kitchen and cafeteria, storage of food product has been a tricky undertaking, too. For example, when milk comes in for two days’ meals, that’s 70 crates with 50 cartons each, or 3500 pieces all crammed in the elementary refrigerators. 

“The refrigerators are getting stacked and restacked to accommodate all of the food coming in,” said Sara Alexander, head cook for the elementary school (who is also known by faculty and staffers for her outstanding soup recipes throughout the school year.)

Mary Lou Groff, head cook for the high school, has been charged with preparing meals for those students with special meal requests.

 “We don’t want to make anyone sick,” she confides. She’s very serious when describing the triple-checks they employ to protect children with food allergies such as gluten, lactose, peanuts or even cinnamon.

The food service workers have learned that some children are still enjoying having lunch with their classmates, only virtually.

Using cell phones, Facetime has allowed children to continue to enjoy a part of the school day they really miss – eating lunch together,” said Mrs. Goodman.  “It is wonderful to me and my staff to learn that many kids are still enjoying the meals we’ve prepared in this unique way.”

Goodman is managing three shifts of workers:  first shift prepares meals, second shift is bagging meals and third shift is handing out the meals to families at the front entrance drive-thru.

Barbara prepares a prep sheet with cooking instructions for the meals so that parents know what needs to be refrigerated, or the proper cook-to temperature, and shelf stability for various food items.  

WORKERS DISTRIBUTING MEALS – As cars line up for the drive up service at the main school entrance, food service workers place meals in the back seats to avoid unnecessary contact.

The peak times at the drive thru that runs from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. are from 3:00-3:15 p.m. when the line first opens and then again from 4:30-5:15 p.m., but the line goes quickly with only a five or six minute wait at most.  The staffers are putting bagged food in the back seat, limiting their interaction during the transaction as much as possible.

Since the physical size of the school district is expansive, encompassing four corners of four counties, some meals are relayed to both the reservation and Wolcottsville for separate pick-up points.

A text message to Mary Lou from her friend Lisa Kaminsky has been shared with her co-workers.

“I just want to thank you for your part in helping to provide school meals,” texted Lisa.  “The team doing the handouts is really great – friendly and efficient!  At yesterday’s pick-up, I used a laundry basket and they really seemed to appreciate that. In the midst of all the chaos in the world, this service is very comforting. Thank you, again.”

Mrs. Goodman has nothing but praise for the work of her staff that includes Josh Alexander, Sara Alexander, Amanda Aquilina, Diane Bradley, Angie DiPaolo, Diane Ernst, Paula Gervasio, Bethany Gillette, Mary Lou Groff, Michelle Livergood, Shannon Priebe, Selena Rodriguez, Dan Waite and Kelly Wargala.

“But I really want to thank the parents for supporting the program – it’s made for a positive situation during these challenging times,” she said.  “We’re here to serve the community and it is very heartwarming to learn of the appreciation for what we’re doing.”

Questions about the meal program during the COVID-19 health crisis should be directed to Mrs. Goodman at (716) 542-5027 or bgoodman@akronk12.org. At this writing, school will remain closed at least until April 20, but parents are reminded to check the school’s website at www.akronschools.org regularly as information is continually being updated based on the recommendations of federal and state leaders during this unprecedented event.

This story was printed in the April 2, 2020 print edition of the AKRON BUGLE

Channel 7 News is expected to highlight the ACS Food Service program in an upcoming broadcast.