In the midst of the teacher walkout across the state, Oklahoma City Public Schools have been making sure no student goes hungry.
Bus drivers and cafeteria staff from the district were sent to deliver sack lunches in over 100 locations around Oklahoma City, Spencer and Midwest City today. The district hopes to feed low-income students and anyone under 18 who is struggling to eat due to the walkout keeping schools closed.
Each bus in the district is assigned to deliver in two such locations. They stop at different parks, churches and gathering areas from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and then go to their second location from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
“We have plenty of inventory…we have made peanut butter and jelly, ham and turkey sandwiches,” said Anita Bibb, the cafeteria manager for Westwood Elementary. “This location has only fed one child, but our next location fed more than 20 on Monday.”
Though lunch staffs and bus drivers from around the district have been on food distribution duty for the week, the teacher walkout is still a cause close to their hearts, says Yolanda Riley, a bus driver for multiple Oklahoma City public schools.
“I think this is long overdue,” said Riley. “I just feel like it’s going to take a village to finally treat somebody right… drivers are stuck making $12.51… that sucks doesn’t it?”
The district said they are prepared to provide free lunches at these sites for the first five days of the walkout.
For information on OKCPS daily meal pick-up locations, visit https://www.okcps.org/cms/lib/OK01913268/Centricity/Domain/1257/Teacher%20Walkout%20Student%20Meal%20Distribution%20from%20OKCPS.pdf.
