Public-Private Partnership Serving 5 Million Meals a Week

A feeding initiative in partnership with the Department of Agriculture will now serve nearly five million meals per week to rural children impacted by COVID-19-related school closures – five times its original goal.  

The partnership between USDA and Baylor University, along with McLane Global and PepsiCo, initially aimed to deliver nearly one million meals per week to students eligible for free and reduced-price meals in a limited number of rural schools closed due to COVID-19. 

However, the Meals To You initiative, “has been so successful and faced such high demand,” that USDA decided to expand the program, according to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Meals to You boxes contain 20 nutritious meals, ten breakfasts and ten lunches, to cover the meals children would normally receive at school over two school weeks. 

Foods contained in the boxes meet USDA’s Summer Food Service Program meal standards and may include items like milk, fruit cups, cereal, whole-grain crackers, and chili. Boxes are delivered directly to children’s doorsteps.