Photo courtesy of PI-ISD.
Meals soon to be served for weekends
By Gaige Davila
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com
Point Isabel ISD’s (PI-ISD) curbside meal program continues to evolve as the COVID-19 pandemic continues affecting the Rio Grande Valley.
Starting Oct. 19, PI-ISD will extend their meal program to weekends, handing out breakfast and lunch bundles for Saturday and Sunday on Fridays.
But enrolled students are not the only people who can receive meals from the district. Any child 18 and younger can now receive meals on Fridays starting Oct. 19, whether they are enrolled in PI-ISD or not. Students enrolled in other school districts, along with PI-ISD students, must present a student identification number to receive food.
Parents with non-school-age children (under five-years-old) can receive meals for their children by showing their children’s’ birth certificates if their children are not present. PI-ISD staff will give parents placards to verify their subsequent trips to receive meals. If parents bring their non-school-age children to pick up meals, no documentation is needed.
The program, called the Community Assist Meal Program (CAMP), was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Texas Department of Agriculture allowing Texas school districts to serve meals to all children 18 and under, rather than just enrolled students.
“We’re able to reach a larger population and be able to help the community during this continued unprecedented time,” Angela Olivares, PI-ISD’s Food Services Director said. “We do see the need in our own community, and we’re proud to be able to assist anyone in need of a meal.”
Olivares said, for example, students who are attending classes remotely within the community but are enrolled in other districts can now receive meals from PI-ISD.
Meals can still be received curbside at Port Isabel High School, Garriga and Derry Elementary from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or from meal buses between 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. To see a full list of bus routes, visit www.pi-isd.net or call (956) 943-0079 for more information.
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