LOUISVILLE, Ky. — All Jefferson County Public Schools food distribution sites ran out of supplies Thursday, the last distribution day before the district starts winter break.
JCPS spokesperson Mark Hebert confirmed all sites were out of food before 1 p.m. Hebert said the more than 100 sites were seeing longer lines than before, with many sites running out of food by noon.
The district distributed more than 600,000 meals, JCPS's biggest distribution day yet, said JCPS Assistant Director of Nutrition Services Dan Ellnor.
Parents who were able to pick up food were given lunches for 11 days and breakfast and snacks to last more than two weeks. Families were given pounds of strawberry slices and house-made chili, along with fresh produce, cereal, milk and more.
"It's a blessing and I'm glad that we are able to that because not all kids are going to be able to eat and it's hard for their parents this year," said parent Brittany Price.
But other parents were not able to leave with meals in their cars, as many sites started reporting they were out of supplies in the morning.
"By the time we made it up to the front of the line, they said, 'We don't have anymore. We're sorry. We ran out,'" Brook Buehner said. "To not have that then puts the stress on me to make sure that I've got to go and spend even more time away from my kids and earn more money to make up for the difference of what I didn't get."
WHAS11 was at Layne Elementary School as organizers gave out their last boxes of food. Ellnor said the problem is partly due to the rising number of families who have needed the meal distribution services over the course of the pandemic, especially over the last few months.
"The families that are normally doing okay and they may have to make some decisions about new shoes or a set of tires for the car, now we're seeing those kids coming through the line with the need that's out there," he said.
JCPS has recommended parents who could not get food reach out to Dare to Care.
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