Grant to help feed hungry students open for applications

CLACKAMAS COUNTY, Ore. (KOIN) — School’s out for summer, but students in Oregon and Washington still need to be fed. Districts in both states have set up meal distribution sites and even used school buses to make district-wide food deliveries during what were originally anticipated to be temporary closures due to coronavirus.

Now that schools will remain closed for the remainder of the academic year, administrators may be looking for financial help to keep these programs going long term.

GENYOUth, a national nonprofit promoting health and wellness in schools, launched the “COVID-19 Emergency School Nutrition Funding.” It’s being supported by private donations, organizations including the National Football League, and dairy farmers across the nation and here in the Northwest.

The grants are up to $3,000 and are for schools to “purchase equipment, coolers and other items that help them transition their school meal programs to grab-and-go during these extended school closures,” said Kimmi Devaney with the Dairy Farmers of Washington.

Requirements to apply for the grant: 

• Participate in the National School Lunch Program
• Include at least one of the grades K-12
• Be located in a brick and mortar school building

The person completing the application must be a principal, school nutrition manager, or district official.

The grant is open now. Applications will be approved on a rolling basis.