ST. LOUIS — The Missouri National Guard will be helping select schools deliver food to students over the next several weeks.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) said Wednesday that 200 National Guard members will deliver food for 11 schools and school districts.
Many of the schools are "small, rural school districts where workforce capacity issues are a growing concern amid the COVID-19 pandemic," DESE said in a press release.
The following schools and school districts will receive the assistance:
- Cape Girardeau Public Schools, Cape Girardeau
- Hickman Mills C-1, Kansas City
- KIPP, St. Louis
- Lee A. Tolbert Community Academy, Kansas City
- Marshall Public Schools, Marshall
- North St. Francois Co. R-I, Bonne Terre
- Osage County R-II, Linn
- Portageville Schools, Portageville
- Richland R-I, Essex
- Warren County R-III, Warrenton
- Wright City R-II, Wright City
“Feeding students is one of the many essential supports that our local schools and their staff members are continuing to provide during this period of distance learning,” Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven said in the release. “We cannot thank our partners with the National Guard enough for coming alongside our local leaders to support our schools and Missouri families.”
The Missouri National Guard has been assisting with the state's coronavirus response efforts after Gov. Mike Parson mobilized it on March 27.
“Your Missouri National Guard is proud to be a part of this very important mission,” Col. Denise Wilkinson, Commander of 70th Troop Command, said in the release.
“Assisting DESE with meal distribution to ensure Missouri children receive the nutritional meals they need is another great example of the enduring partnerships and strong teams we’re building during these challenging times.”
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