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Mobilizing and Delivering Essential Meals to Children and Families Affected by School Closures During COVID ‐19 and Beyond
Author(s) -
Ryan Benjamin J.,
Telford Victoria,
Brickhouse Mark,
Campbell Jacqueline,
Crowe Connor,
Fink Rok,
Hatch Kristy,
Hatch Tim,
Jones Reiley,
Cruz Andrea S.,
Allen Cara,
Krey Kathy,
Everett Jeremy,
Kanitz Lori A.,
Brooks Bryan W.
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/josh.13188
Subject(s) - general partnership , focus group , public relations , emergency management , business , food security , qualitative research , qualitative property , medicine , medical education , marketing , political science , sociology , economic growth , agriculture , finance , geography , economics , machine learning , computer science , social science , archaeology
BACKGROUND The closure of schools in response to COVID‐19 compromised access to essential meals for many students. The Emergency Meals‐to‐You program, a public/private partnership, was set up to address this challenge. More than 38.7 million meals were delivered between April and August 2020. This study explores lessons learned and identifies strategies for strengthening food access and security at schools and beyond. METHODS Qualitative research methods were used. This included interviews and focus groups with participants involved in setting up and delivering the Emergency Meals‐to‐You program. Data were thematically analyzed using key phrases, ideas, and concepts, and interpreted. RESULTS The program leveraged a multisectoral approach. Components relied on each other and included: schools, public/private partnership, eligibility, relationships, experience, centralized communication, food quality and branding, logistics, and transport. Strategies identified to strengthen food access focused on integration with emergency management structures, understanding food needs at the school level, building a fully procurable menu, and allowing distribution to be rapidly scaled. CONCLUSIONS The lessons identified and strategies recommended provide a framework for working across the emergency management spectrum (school to national level) to strengthen food access and availability for students and their families affected by a pandemic, disaster, or crisis situation.