Radford City Public Schools staff member Josh Green (left) and RCPS Superintendent Rob Graham load chocolate milk onto a school bus on the first day of food distribution in a partnership with Radford-Fairlawn Daily Bread that will provide food to adults in the households of students receiving weekly meals from the school system.
Heather Bell
RADFORD – Radford City Schools has been focused on food insecurity among its students for years with programs like summer feeding efforts, the addition of breakfast and more, and that focus has been amplified since the pandemic took children out of classrooms for months on end.
Weekly meal distributions began rolling out when schools shut down and the volunteer organization Bobcat Backpacks kept its weekly food program going strong as well. Now, parent or caregivers in the homes receiving food distribution are getting meals as well, thanks to a new partnership with Radford-Fairlawn Daily Bread.The first delivery of “Ueat2” food boxes for adults in families in the RCPS community went out last week and will continue each Wednesday with the student food distribution, which takes place through school buses traveling the normal bus routes and giving out food along the way.
“Thank you to our Radford City Public Schools bus drivers and cafeteria staff who deliver food to our students every week,”said Radford City School Board Member and Bobcat Backpacks co-founder Jenny Riffe. “Thank you also to Radford-Fairlawn Daily Bread who have started a new program to deliver food boxes to our parents on the RCPS food delivery buses.
“What an amazing community,” reads a post by Daily Bread. “Thank you to Rob Graham, Connie Woods, RCPS bus drivers and all of the great volunteers who made the first day of Ueat2 food box delivery a success. We delivered 62 boxes with food for up to 434 easy to prepare meals. We also welcomed 10 additional families to the program for delivery next Wednesday. We appreciate the kindness and dedication of the community that cares for our neighbors.”
Anyone in need of a parent food box should please contact Dora Butler at director@radfordfairlawndailybread.org.