Mobilizing and Delivering Essential Meals to Children and Families Affected by School Closures During COVID-19 and Beyond.
COVID-19
education
food access
rural
school closure
Journal
The Journal of school health
ISSN: 1746-1561
Titre abrégé: J Sch Health
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 0376370
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
07 2022
07 2022
Historique:
revised:
17
02
2022
received:
12
12
2021
accepted:
08
03
2022
pubmed:
7
4
2022
medline:
16
6
2022
entrez:
6
4
2022
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
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. 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. 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. 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.
Sections du résumé
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.
Identifiants
pubmed: 35383931
doi: 10.1111/josh.13188
pmc: PMC9115131
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
646-655Informations de copyright
© 2022 The Authors. Journal of School Health published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American School Health Association.
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