Pictured left: Joe Pruitt, the natural and cultural resources manager for Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation in Georgia, distributing food during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Park and recreation professionals have been champions of providing healthy, nutritious meals this year as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shut down schools, stifled the economy and introduced so much uncertainty to our daily lives. We’ve seen our park and recreation professionals jump into action, serving daily meals to families in their communities through drive-through models, delivery routes and during childcare programs for children of essential workers.

As school days, meal patterns and holiday schedules look different for every community across the country, ensuring access to meals can feel extra challenging. But let’s take a look at some ways park and recreation professionals can leverage the federal nutrition program waivers issued during COVID-19 to support meal programs and ensure all families in your community have access to healthy meals this holiday season.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS) has extended all child nutrition COVID-19 waivers through the 2020-2021 school year, set to expire June 30, 2021. While these waivers are beneficial to meal programs, there are some additional practices that can help maximize meal service:

Meal Times

The waiver of standard meal times allows for providers to offer meals in a variety of ways, including grab-and-go and drive-through models, as well as multiple meals issued at one time. This holiday season, consider providing up to a week's worth of meals per child at one time. Not only does this limit the amount of exposure during pick-up times, but also ensures kids have daily meals. Also, consider filling gaps in meal service times. For example, if multiple organizations are offering meal pickups during the day, consider offering an evening or weekend pickup time to accommodate different schedules.

Maximize Meal Programs

The Seamless Summer Option (SSO) waiver allows the Seamless Summer Feeding Program (SSFP) to be used all year. By coupling SFSP and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), meal providers are able to offer three meals plus a snack each day, covering one day’s worth of nutrition.

Address Transportation Challenges

Identified as one of the biggest barriers to meal access in the Afterschool Alliance America After 3 p.m. report, consider alternative ways to deliver meals to families. Utilize existing bus routes, schedule drop-offs in housing complexes or position meal pick-ups in easily accessible locations to ensure access is not a barrier to nutrition.

Consider Partnerships

While your organization may fill the crucial role of providing child meals, consider partnering with a local organization that can support adult meals to ensure the whole family is taken care of. Partnerships with food banks, faith-based organizations or even restaurants can support meal boxes for the whole family. Partnering with your local Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) offices is also a great way to cross promote food security resources like SNAP and WIC benefits during meal pick-ups.

Communicate

Clear communication is key in ensuring members of your community are aware of and have access to your meal programs. Share meal distribution times and locations through social media, on flyers in doctors’ offices and grocery stores, through radio ads and word of mouth. And because of the Area Eligibility Waiver, be sure to communicate that all kids under age 18 have access to free meals, not just those in locations that meet the requirement for free or reduced-price school meals.

This year has been full of challenges and uncertainty, but also inspiring in many ways. The dedication of park and recreation professionals to provide safe access to healthy meals has helped millions of families, and your role is essential and crucial. We thank you for your dedication to your communities, wish you a safe and happy holiday season and look forward to continuing to celebrate your dedication in the new year.

For more information about NRPA’s response to COVID-19, as well as available resources for park and recreation professionals, please see our Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) webpage.

Maureen Neumann is a Program Manager at NRPA.