Lemoore Elementary School District reports nearly 800 lunches served on first day

Lemoore Elementary school officials told The Leader that on Wednesday, nearly 800 meals were served at the district's five locations and two mobile dropoff spots, El Dorado Mobile Home Park and the Bell Haven subdivision.

Central Union Elementary School District, according to its website, will also begin providing free meals beginning Monday, March 23, and meals will be available from 10:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at R.J. Neutra Elementary School at NAS Lemoore, Central Elementary School, the Santa Rosa Rancheria Education Department, and Stratford Elementary School.

School officials say that children do not need to be enrolled in the Central Union School District to participate. The meals will be for children 18 and younger. Each meal will have a lunch and breakfast items.

School officials at Lemoore Elementary reported that cafeteria workers came in early and prepared 360 lunches, and by 11:30 a.m. school officials had distributed 140 lunches to drive-up parents. Helping out Wednesday morning were the school’s principal, Amy Garica, and staff members Araceli Hernandez, Olivia Gutierrez, Ruth Garcia, Araceli Hernandez, Olivia Gutierrez, Ruth Garcia, Stephanie Tischmacher, Amee Luna, and Brenden Boesch.

Even the district’s superintendent, Cheryl Hunt, came by to see how things were progressing and said she was pleased with the response.

Lemoore High School also set up in the school’s parking lot in front of the NJROTC building to serve breakfast and lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Within an hour or so, 156 meals had been distributed as drivers pulled right up to the distribution site.

Lemoore High School administrators were kept busy handing out about 156 meals by about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in the staff parking lot on Bush Street.

Lemoore Athletic Director Brady Holaday held court as he and fellow administrators Michelle King, Nicole Mora, and Sonia Gonzales, along with the school’s longtime cafeteria manager, Debra Wenzel handed out lunches.

“I think it’s amazing,” said Lemoore Elementary School Principal Amy Garcia. “I think this is what our community needs, so we’re more than happy to provide that. Our cook here, Mrs. Clair Rose, has been amazing. This is what she does. This is what she loves, feeding the kids at Lemoore Elementary, so she was more than happy to be here that early to put things together.”

Garcia said that Rose arrived at about 5:30 a.m. and her staff arrived about an hour later. “There were four ladies here this morning altogether,” said Garcia.

What was the reaction of those arriving for lunches? “Super thankful,” said Garcia. “They were very happy that we’re able to do this, and then the students are very excited to see staff members here and kind of experience a normal kind of day. It’s been very positive.”