Coronavirus In MA: Food Resources During Shutdowns, Layoffs

Over 300,000 Massachusetts kids get free and reduced-price meals at school, and many other residents are likely to find themselves food insecure as businesses layoff workers and reduce hours. With the state shutting down all schools for at least three weeks, districts and other providers are stepping up to continue providing meals during the closure. Project Bread, an organization which works to end hunger in Massachusetts, compiled a map of sites offering meal pickups.

The organization also has a food resource hotline, for anyone in the state worried about going hungry. The toll-free hunger hotline is at 1-800-645-8333.

The school meal list, which will continue to be updated, is compiled from school districts and other community organizations, according to Miriam Avila, the project's community relations coordinator. Over 1,000 sites are listed on the map.

"Many families are likely to experience more food insecurity due to job losses and things like that," Avila said. "These meal sites are critical at times like this."

Avila noted that school districts are using innovative methods like following bus routes to distribute meals. In many districts, breakfast and lunch are both available. In some, schools are even providing food to all residents, not just members of the school community.

On the map below, you can scroll to zoom, click and drag to move around the state and click on pins for details.

The hunger help-line is available to anyone who needs food assistance during the coronavirus crisis, according to Project Bread.

"They can connect anyone with food resources, food pantries, things like that in their local area. They can also find meal sites," Avila said. "They also provide information about SNAP or emergency SNAP benefits, and elder meal programs."

Calls are coming in a lot more frequently than usual, Avila said.

Avila recommended that people who want to help can donate to local food pantries or to her organization. She thanked school districts and community organizations for stepping up to provide meals, and the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for helping to coordinate.

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Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.