Meals still a priority at Lake Holcombe School

The meal program at Lake Holcombe School is still going full swing, even with no students in the lunchroom. After schools were closed in March, to ensure kids under 18 within the district had access to breakfast and lunch, Lake Holcombe began delivery of meals.

“We do an assembly line,” said head cook Mary Kostka. “If we have anything that’s hot, we have written directions on how the kids can microwave it.”

Taking two vans, the meals are dropped off outside the houses of more than 130 kids signed up for the program. One van delivers on the east side of State Hwy. 27, while the other takes the west side.

“We kind of switch off,” said Kostka.

The program, which is an extension of the free DPI summer meals program, runs Monday through Friday.

“I don’t know how long this is going to last,” said Kostka. “I was told this program could possibly go to the end of June.”

Food service workers aren’t the only ones striving to provide what students need, as teachers are conducting classes and learning opportunities online.

The silver lining to this situation, is that we have all learned invaluable lessons on how to work remotely.

We cannot stress enough, that students are still obligated to complete their work and assignments, and connect with their teachers.

Students have a shared responsibility to partner in their own learning.

Those are only some of the comments teachers have shared in response to what is, although not an ideal situation, the new normal – at least for the time being.

Since she sees students as they wave through the door or window, Kostka says this is not an easy time for anyone.

“A lot of them are missing their friends,” said Kostka, adding she hopes the kids know how much she misses them, too. “It’s hard. I love them all. Some of these kids meet you at the door and you can’t hug them.”

Despite the no contact situation when delivering the meals to coolers outside, Kostka says she is grateful to everyone who has made the program a success.

“Without their help, it would be a hassle trying to get things taken care of and get these kids taken care of,” she said. “You hate to think of anybody going hungry.”