School districts across Oakland County are preparing to feed students that rely on free or reduced lunch during the three-week COVID-19 shutdown.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered all K-12 public and private schools to close on Monday, March 16 until Sunday, April 5. The U.S. Department of Agriculture implemented additional flexibility for the National School Lunch Act and the Food Nutrition Service last week to allow schools across the nation to provide breakfast and lunch outside of school buildings.

Many districts planned to release information this weekend about when and where meals will be provided. Parents and guardians should check with their individual districts for times and locations.

Roughly one-third of students in Oakland County qualify for free or reduced-price meals.

In Pontiac, where 90% of students are eligible for the program, the district is teaming up its bus company and food service provider to bring meals to the community.

Starting Wednesday, March 18, one or more buses will travel the normal school pick-up route stopping at centralized locations to provide two meals a day, breakfast and lunch. The program will run until school is back in session. Volunteers are also needed to help distribute the food. Pontiac School District plans to communicate times and locations to the school community this weekend.

Waterford School District, with a 57% percent reduced or free lunch population, will host three meal pick-up locations. The district is currently planning to provide at least one meal and is exploring options to provide two meals at a time.

Meal pick-up locations will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday during the school closings at Riverside Elementary School, Mason Middle School and the Crary Administration Campus at 501 Cass Lake Road in Waterford.

Individuals are also stepping up to fill in meal gaps for students. Micah 6 Community, a nonprofit focused on healthy eating and living in Pontiac, is teaming up with other local organizations to offer free food boxes to the Pontiac community.

The boxes will be available for pick-up from 2 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Sprout Fresh Food Store in Pontiac until school is back in session.

One box is available per family per week. A $10 donation will provide one box to a family. The Pontiac Community Foundation is sponsoring 200 boxes to kick-off the effort. Donations can be made at micah6community.networkforgood.com. Food donations can be dropped off at the store.