Austin ISD reinstates weekend meal program

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin ISD has reinstated its weekend meal program to allow families with students under the age of 19 to again pick up meal bundles.

The bundles include six meals and will be available during Friday distribution. Families are recommended to bring bags to help get their weekend meals home safely. 

Meals are provided for free at more than 70 locations while school is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Curbside meals will be offered at more than 15 sites. Austin ISD school buses will deliver meals throughout the community at more than 50 locations.

RELATED: AISD cancels all proms, postpones graduation

Meals may be provided to parents or caregivers, even when the child is not present, provided they have one of the following forms of documentation when they pick up the meals:

•    Official letter/email from school that shows children as enrolled
•    Individual student report cards
•    Attendance record from Parent Portal of school website
•    Birth certificate for children not in school
•    Student ID cards

If the parent does not have documentation, the child must be present to receive a meal.

To maintain a safe physical distance, at curbside sites, parents will tape the documentation to their car window or dash so staff may check it through the glass. At bus stop sites, parents will place the documentation on the table for staff to review.

RELATED: Texas classrooms closed for remainder of 2019-2020 school year

Meals will feature foods cooked and prepared by staff in Austin ISD kitchens. These meals will be chilled and served cold to be taken home and reheated. The healthy meals served will include protein, grains, fruits, vegetables, and milk. The option of vegetarian meals and compostable cutlery will be available. Food is available until it runs out.  

For additional food resources in Austin, families are encouraged to visit the Central Texas Food Bank or ConnectATX.

RELATED: TEA Meal Finder

Donations to the Austin ISD Crisis Support Fund help support meal services along with other student learning needs. To learn more or make a gift, visit the fund's website.

A full map of all meal sites can be found on the Austin ISD website. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST INFO ON THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

FOX 7 Austin is working to keep you up to date with coronavirus, with both local and national developments. Every weekday we're live at 12 p.m. with a special show reporting the latest news, prevention tips and treatment information.

You can watch live in your FOX 7 Austin app or on the FOX 7 Austin Facebook page.

You can also get the latest COVID-19 news from around the country at coronavirusnow.com.