By James Hanlon
Leader Staff Writer
After two weeks of continuing to feed kids after the schools closed, the Free Food for Kids program has been suspended.
“I must give a tremendous shout-out and THANK YOU to our Nutrition Services staff who stepped up over the past two weeks working endless hours and putting forth a great effort to feed children in need,” Oxford Community Schools Superintendent Tim Throne wrote in a statement March 26. “However, for the health and safety of our staff, we have made the difficult decision to suspend the program and are ceasing any future distributions at this time.”
The day after Governor Whitmer announced schools would close statewide to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the district announced a plan to continue providing breakfasts and lunches in take-home bags three days a week.
Pick-up locations were curbside at the high school and from a mobile delivery van parked in front of the clubhouse at Lake Villa, and in front of Village Manor Apartments (later changed to Oxford Elementary for better visibility).
The program was an improvisation. A skeleton crew made up only of staff who were willing to continue and volunteers from the community worked from 5 a.m. to late at night.
Nutrition Services Director Karen Bissett explained that from the very beginning they wanted to provide for the community, but keeping staff safe has always been the top priority. “It breaks my heart to not be able to provide for families that need it,” she said.
A lot has changed over the few weeks since they started. The outbreak in Oakland County has gotten much worse.
A major worry was that if school resumed, but the staff have not been quarantined for 14 days, they could still infect students. They wanted to make sure staff had at least 14 days off before returning to school.
“The number one concern was the safety of employees, so as things changed, we had to make a decision.” Bissett pointed out there are many other options and food banks still available for those who need it.
The decision to suspend the program came a day after the biggest distribution day of the program, in which 16,632 meals were handed out. It wasn’t enough.
Lines of cars backed up all the way from the circle drive in front of the high school, down Ray Rd. and into the Meijer parking lot. There was confusion about where the line even started. Some folks reported waiting 90 minutes only to receive half a week’s worth of meals.
Staff were working at full capacity. All the coolers were packed to the ceiling. They even used extra kitchen space at Oxford Middle School and Oxford Elementary. “We could not have provided any more than we did,” Bissett said.
Securing product through the supply chain was an ongoing problem. It took a full week to secure items. Deliveries were short-shipped, requiring them to pull form their inventory.
Another problem was anticipating the numbers. There were too many leftovers on previous distribution days. Even with those leftovers, they still planned for extra numbers and they still ran out.
March 25 was the first day they switched to a new format of handing out seven days’ worth of meals, once a week in order to reduce the risk of exposure for staff. This might explain the overwhelming shift in demand, because people were worried it was their last chance for an entire week.
“I don’t know if it’s just panic and fear playing into it, just like at Meijer and the grocery stores,” Bissett said.
It was impossible to regulate because the program was wide-open.
Meals were prepared for anyone under 18, not just those who normally qualified for free or reduced lunch. Children did not have to be present, and adults could pick up meals for children who are not their own. Furthermore, the program was open to any child, not just Oxford residents.
These were all required by the USDA waiver that allowed the program to operate.
In total, the program provided 38,467 meals over five distribution days. To put that into perspective, on a normal school day they provide 2,000-2,400 meals. And, on a normal school day, they don’t have to bag and pack the meals.
But, this was not a normal situation. Folks who do not normally qualify for free or reduced lunches still benefited because many adults are not able to work now.
Marisa Prince is one of them. “It has been a good lesson for my kids and my family on accepting help,” she said.
Bissett said, “People were very appreciative.” They received many thank you emails. “I hope it made a difference for the time we were able to provide.”
Besides the regular staff, 24 volunteers helped throughout the program. Many more than that volunteered, but because of social distancing measures, they had to keep the numbers low.
“I am incredibly proud of my entire staff and volunteers that stepped up. It could not have happened without them.”

Alternative Resources
In the cancellation announcement, Superintendent Throne provided a list of resources for families that cannot afford food during the crisis:
Oxford/Orion FISH Food Pantry, Food Bank of Oakland County in Pontiac, God’s Helping Hand in Rochester, Lighthouse in Pontiac and Clarkston.
FISH Vice President Michelle Behm said they had been managing well up to this point, but they are disappointed the school program has been suspended without any notice given to them to prepare.
“I don’t know how we are going to manage all of this and we will definitely need a few days to regroup,” Behm said on Friday.
FISH provides groceries for people in need who live in Oxford, Orion, Addison and Oakland townships.
Due to safety guidelines, FISH is not accepting food donations at this time. Monetary donations are still greatly appreciated, however.
“The safety of our volunteers is our first priority and we only function with our volunteers and donations,” Behm said. “Without them, I cannot continue to support the community which is definitely in need.”
Clients are no longer allowed to do their own shopping in the pantry. Instead, they should remain in their vehicles while volunteers load their groceries.
Clients should call ahead to schedule a pickup time. If you need FISH’s help, please call 248-628-3933.
FISH’s current office hours are 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday only. Pantry hours to 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday only. The pantry is located at 1060 S. Lapeer Rd.
Nearby school districts like Avondale, Clarkston and Rochester, continue to provide a similar free food program, and children do not need to be enrolled in those districts.
Free meals will still be served at Oxford United Methodist Church (21 E. Burdick St.) on Wednesdays. Thirty to 40 meals will be available for pickup only at the church’s front door beginning at 5:30 p.m. It will be first come, first served.
If there are any senior citizens (age 60 and older) or individuals with underlying health conditions living in Oxford who need help getting food and/or other essentials, they can call the township at 248-462-9997 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday .