Grab-and-Go Meal Program to Start Up Again This Month

The Hawai‘i State Department of Education (HIDOE) Grab-and-Go school meals program will be returning for the fall semester beginning Oct. 12, through Dec. 18, to provide free meals to children ages 18 and younger.

The meals are available to children regardless of whether or not they are enrolled at the distribution site, are public school students, or are eligible for the free or reduced-price lunch program.

“We are excited to be starting up this program again, as it proved extremely successful over the summer, and we know it helps to fill a critical need in our communities. Consistent daily nutrition is so important for the continued growth and development of our keiki, especially during these challenging times,” Deputy Superintendent Phyllis Unebasami said. “We encourage parents to keep their keiki’s health a priority and to visit the nearest participating school for pick-ups.”

Unlike during the summer, meal distribution will be at lunchtime only. Contact your school for meal serving times.

Pick-ups will include one lunch for that day and one breakfast for the following, day per child. Distribution will be available Monday through Friday, excluding holidays and designated school breaks, at drive-thru lines at the campuses listed below and walk-up lines where possible. Dine-in options will not be offered.

Meals may be picked up without children present but parents and guardians must provide one of the following verification documents:

• Official letter or email from school listing child(ren) enrolled.
• Recent student report card(s).
• Attendance record(s) from parent portals of school websites.
• Birth certificate(s) of child(ren).
• Student ID card(s).
• Driver’s permit(s)/license(s) for high school students.
• State-issued identification for the child.

Social distancing is required and masks must be worn at all times. There will be no personal interaction between serving staff and the community. All meals will be placed in to-go containers. Families are encouraged to visit their nearest participating school and to not visit multiple locations to ensure schools can produce the appropriate number of meals each day. Parents may contact the school of their choice for more details. Meals at other schools not listed for the Grab-and-Go program will be distributed on normal schedules and pricing rates.

This program is made possible through US Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding, which provided nationwide waivers for the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option (SSO) to extend free meals to children through December at schools meeting USDA requirements for free and reduced-price meal populations. Using the same SSO funding, HIDOE provided over 1.3 million free Grab-and-Go breakfast and lunch meals at nearly 80 public schools and community locations from March 23–July 17, 2020.

For prescribed meal modifications, send an email to specialdiets@k12.hi.us or call 808-784-5500. Participating Big Island schools are listed below:

Ele‘ele Elementary
Kamakahelei Middle School
Kapa‘a Elementary
Kapa‘a High School
Kapa‘a Middle School
Kaua‘i High
Kaumuali‘i Elementary
Kekaha Elementary
Kīlauea Elementary
Koloa Elementary
Waimea Canyon Middle School
Waimea High School
Wilcox Elementary