The Beacon City School District has been supplying free breakfasts and lunches to any student in the district by way of grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches, picked up on Mondays and Wednesdays at South Avenue Elementary or Beacon High School. Lunches are prepared and bagged on Mondays and Wednesdays to be made at home over the course of the week. Meals have included pizza, chicken nuggets, baked chicken, broccoli and chicken, pancakes and chicken - lots of options.

As of today (4/27/2020), the Beacon City School District is preparing 9,500 grab-and-go meals per week, and has completed just under 50,000 meals so far, according to Karen Pagano, Director of Food and Nutrition for the Beacon City School District.

When and if school resumes, families who have lost jobs can apply now for the Free & Reduced-Cost Lunch School Meals/Milk program, Karen says. Families who have already applied to the Free Meal program and have been accepted do not need to re-apply.

“Once school resumes, the meal eligibility will be what it was before we closed schools,” Karen told A Little Beacon Blog by email. “But, if they apply now for Free Meals, their new application may then assist with their children’s meals at school for the remainder of this school year and 30 days into the next (2020-2021) school year.”

Karen points out that people who have recently lost income and had not applied before because their income did not qualify them for meal assistance might now qualify. “If they apply now while waiting for supplemental assistance - their income levels may qualify them for the Free Meal program. Therefore, now is the best time to submit an application.”

People out of work are still encouraged to apply if they had a large reduction in income but have started receiving benefits.

How To Apply To The Free Meals Program For Beacon City School District

Download the application at the Beacon City School District’s website here.

Email the complete application to: moustakas.d@beaconk12.org.

Applications will also be available at the two current meal distribution sites - Beacon High School and South Avenue Elementary and can be returned to these sites as well.

Do not download the application if you have already applied and are already in the Free Meals program. Your work is done!

As of now (April 27, 2020) kids meals from the Beacon City School District continue to be free for all kids in the district while school is part of the New York PAUSE status, and no application is required to pick up a free meal. Details about pickup are here, and include delivery options.