NEWBERRY COUNTY — In response to the COVID-19 pandemic changing how children are learning this school year, the Carolina Panthers contributed $10,000 through the Fuel Up to Play 60 Hometown Grant to GENYOUth’s COVID-19 Emergency School Meal Delivery Fund.
The Hometown Grant supports ongoing feeding efforts for Newberry County schools, an active participant in Fuel Up to Play 60 programs. With 6,000 students, four in five are approved for meals at free or reduced prices. The funds will purchase equipment for the safe service of milk and meals, personal protective equipment and sanitation supplies at the following five schools: Mid-Carolina High School, Newberry High School, Newberry Middle School, Pomaria-Garmany Elementary School and Whitmire Elementary School.
“We work each day to make sure that meals for students are a thing families won’t need to worry about. We couldn’t do what we do without the support of organizations like GENYOUth, the Carolina Panthers and our dairy farm families and we are incredibly grateful to receive this award,” said Carolyn Barnes, school nutrition director at the Newberry County School District.
Developed by Fuel Up to Play 60, the Hometown Grant identifies schools to receive funding to support physical activity and nutrition programs. The Hometown Grant brings the Carolina Panthers total contributions to GENYOUth’s COVID-19 Emergency School Meal Delivery Fund to $25,000.
“The Carolina Panthers are pleased to once again partner with the GENYOUth COVID-19 Emergency School Meal Delivery Fund and The Dairy Alliance to support the critical work they are doing to meet the essential needs of schools and students,” said Riley Fields, Carolina Panthers director of community relations. “Even during remote learning, student nutrition and the access to meals remain a vital component in preparing kids for learning success.”
Schools remain in need of support to adapt to the ever-changing models of remote and hybrid learning, involving a mixture of delivering meals to the classroom, curbside and via school bus routes. While federal funding continues to support school feeding programs, additional funding helps provide schools with the necessary resources for food storage, single-serve packaging, distribution, delivery and sanitation/safety protective gear. The GENYOUth COVID-19 Emergency School Meal Delivery Fund helps schools meet those needs.
“At GENYOUth, we have never witnessed the level of need from schools to support their unwavering commitment to feeding their students in the most challenging of times due to COVID-19. Our goal is to ensure that every school nutrition professional has the equipment and resources they need to ensure delivery and distribution of school meals. Here in the Carolinas, we have received 450 applications requesting over $1.3 million to support school meal delivery programs. Thanks to the generosity and commitment of partners like the Carolina Panthers, with each dollar and each day we are making progress in helping to feed our nation’s children,” said Alexis Glick, CEO of GENYOUth.