CMS leaders discuss plan for grab-and-go meals for new school year

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg School leaders met Tuesday to discuss the best way to make sure students are well fed this school year, even as they learn from home.

The need for food is critical right now, but CMS has a plan in place.

For the first two weeks of school, Aug. 17-31, students will be able to pick up breakfast and lunch every day at grab-and-go sites across the county. The meal sites will be open from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Information about the program and the full list of pick-up sites can be found here.

Then starting Sept. 1, students can pick up meal bundles at various sites.

“We’re excited about it and just hope that our community will get behind it and get our kids fed and also help out our employees,” said Cathy Beam, with CMS.

CMS posted a video to show how it will work -- each bundle box comes with five breakfasts and five lunches.

Students can pick them up at one of 40 grab-and-go sites across Mecklenburg County or they can have them delivered to their bus stop.

Students will be split into four groups to determine their pick-up day.

Parent Alvin Slusher has two daughters in CMS and is one of the likely thousands planning to take advantage of the new CMS Eats at Home program this school year.

“I think having the meals coming are helpful,” Slusher said. “Especially, for families like my own, who are going to need those meals. The kids depend on them. Food does run out at the end of the month, if you get food stamps. It doesn’t last sometimes, and kids rely on those meals.”

Parents have to pre-order the bundles on Pay-Pams. They have until Aug. 18 to order the bundle for bus stop delivery. The deadline to apply for the grab-and-go sites is Aug. 26. Families must continually order it through a Pay-Pams account.

These meals are free for families who applied for the free and reduced lunch program. If you don’t qualify for that, you can still take advantage of the program. Meal bundles will be $15 a week.

Beam said there are about 84,000 students, who qualify for free or reduced lunches or attend a school where all students get meals at no charge.

“It’s about feeding kids first, regardless of their environment,” Beam said. “But also, to look after our employees, so we hope it’s a win-win.”

Families must complete the 2020-2021 family meal application to see if they qualify for meal benefits. The online application can be completed by clicking here.

Families do not need to complete a meal application if all students in the household attend a CEP school. For a list of CEP schools, please click here. 

CMS superintendent lays out what families can expect this school year CMS superintendent lays out what families can expect this school year

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