With schools closed for at least the next three weeks, one of the biggest questions that has come up, other than childcare for families that need it, is how are districts going to ensure students have enough food. Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, and South Haven are among the districts with food distribution sites. St. Joseph Public Schools superintendent Dr. Thomas Bruce says it’s open to anyone in the district.
“In this program, we are allowed to feed anyone from our area, meaning anybody that wants to drive to Lincoln Elementary School,” says Dr. Bruce. “We are not allowed to ask ‘are you a free or reduced lunch family or child?’ If a mom pulls up and says I have four children under the age of 18, we give them four meals.”
Dr. Bruce says about 80 meals were handed out on Monday, in line with what he’s heard from other districts.
The state of Michigan will reimburse the districts for the meals. At St. Joseph, Lincoln Elementary is the pickup location between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. In South Haven, breakfast and lunch is being delivered for all students at several locations starting Tuesday. For Benton Harbor Area Schools, breakfast is available from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. and lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at eight locations.
South Haven Public Schools food locations and times:
Park Meadows (mailboxes by office): 10:45 am – 11:15 am
Port Of Call (near office): 11:25 am – 11:40 am
Coastal Crossing (Cecilia Drive & Erika Way near office): 11:55 am – 12:25 pm
The Ravines (2nd Avenue & Pleasantview Drive): 12:35 pm – 12:50 pm
Briar Hills (Southwest corner of South Haven Place & Cherry Street): 1 pm – 1:30 pm
South Haven Mobile Home (corner of Cherry & Chambers streets): 1:35 pm – 1:50 pm
Lakeshore Mobile Home (16th Avenue by office): 2:05 pm – 2:20 pm
Elkenburg Park (Humphrey Street): 2:30 pm – 2:45 pm
Benton Harbor Public Schools food locations and times:
Breakfast 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. and Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.:
Benton Harbor High School
Blossom Acres
Benton Manor
First Church of God Benton Heights
Overflow Church
Ravines MHC
Berrien Homes
River Terrace
Lunch 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Boys & Girls Club Teen Center
Boys & Girls Club Youth Campus
