Families in the Dunkirk City School District no longer have to worry about their children going hungry throughout the day.

All students in the district are eligible to receive free, nutritious breakfast and lunch meals each day, including Saturday and Sunday, as long as school is in session.

“A healthy diet is very important to our students’ success in the classroom,” said Michael Mansfield, Dunkirk City School District superintendent. “When students are hungry, their focus isn’t on learning. I am so pleased that on a daily basis the district is able to provide healthy meals that allow students to be fed, focused, and ready to make the most of their day.”

When learning in-person, students get hot, ready-to-eat meals during their normally scheduled lunch period. On days when students are learning remotely, families are able to pick up fully-cooked, reheatable meals, with heating instructions in both English and Spanish.

“The meal distribution program is about so much more than feeding hungry kids. We’re helping our students thrive both in and out of the classroom,” said Karen Giardina, Dunkirk CSD Sodexo general manager,. “We’re providing healthy, nutritious meals that are not only compliant with New York State regulations, but also that encourage kids to eat a variety of different foods and flavors.”

Weekday meals may be picked up Monday through Friday between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the Dunkirk Middle School loading docks on Fifth Street or the School 3 loading docks on Monroe Street.

Weekend meals are only available for pick up on Fridays at the middle school loading docks. Weekend meals include both breakfast and lunch for Saturday and Sunday.

“We never want our students to worry about where their next meal is going to come from,” said Cynthia Mackowiak, Dunkirk City School District school business administrator. “We worked very hard to make meal pick up as easy as possible for families. We are working with Meals on Wheels to make sure families facing hardships that prevent them from being able to pick up themselves still have access to their meals. Families that find themselves in a hardship situation should contact their child’s building principal.”

Because the Dunkirk City School District is a community eligible program district, every enrolled student is able to eat for free, regardless of financial need. Each day, the district feeds 500 students and is reimbursed for the cost of each meal served.

“I greatly appreciate the efforts of Cynthia Mackowiak, Karen Giardina and the employees of Sodexo, and our partners at Meals on Wheels,” Mansfield said. “Thanks to their efforts, we are able to provide nutritious, healthy meals that contribute to our students’ success both in and out of the classroom.”