How U-46 is serving thousands of meals to families weekly

When Elgin Area School District U-46 closed schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a cadre of 160 essential workers stepped up to keep feeding a multitude of students and families in need.

Karen Roman-Martinez is among those unsung heroes - food service workers risking their health to prepare, bag and distribute thousands of meals, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack items, for families to pick up each week.

"We serve the community," said Roman-Martinez, 35, of Hoffman Estates, a food service lead at Coleman Elementary in Elgin. "I'm always willing to help. I really love my job."

Roman-Martinez said her reward is seeing the smiles on the faces of students and their families when they drive up in cars to receive food through the window or placed in trunks by workers.

"I really do miss the kids," she said. "They always make my day. I am the lunch lady."

U-46 food service workers must follow rigorous safety protocols, including washing hands frequently, using hand sanitizer, wearing masks, gloves and observing social distancing rules as they work the assembly line on a roughly 6-hour shift starting at 7:30 a.m. On Mondays and Wednesdays, workers bag double the amount of food to last two days. More than a 1,000 bags are distributed at Coleman alone, Roman-Martinez said.

Food is distributed three days a week at 26 sites, including the district's main office in Elgin and elementary schools spread throughout its 11 communities.

Since March 17, the district has distributed 781,011 meals and 260,337 snacks prepared at the district's commissary at 1150 Bowes Road in Elgin.

"On the first day we served 12,600 meals and today we served 47,532," said Elena Hildreth, U-46 food and nutrition services director. "It has grown substantially. We had no idea of the volume."

While mostly a drive-through operation, some sites are set up with tables so families can cycle or walk up and take as many food bags as needed. There is no set limit, but a few sites allow five bags per family. Families can pick up food from any location and children don't need to be present.

"It's on the honor system that families will go and take what they need and nothing more," Hildreth said. "There is no tracking mechanism. We've had a few hiccups where we've run out of food."

Demand has increased steadily at schools with a larger population of students eligible for the federal free and reduced lunch program, such as Coleman. If a site runs out of food, workers call other locations to see if they have a surplus.

"Some of our food and nutrition service staff have started taking meals because their spouses are not working," Hildreth said. "We've been blessed with the same people since the beginning (working) at the same locations."

None of the nurses, food service workers and delivery drivers manning the sites since the lockdown began have been diagnosed with COVID-19, she added.

Hildreth has been rewarding workers' dedication with lots of chocolates, treats, and special superhero masks. "(May 1) happens to be National School Lunch Hero Day," she said adding, "we're just really trying to thank them every day."