With schools closed and snow clean-up still underway, a new worry arose for some D.C. families on Monday.
"One of the big concerns, whenever we close schools for snow, is that there are young people and their families who won't get to eat," said D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson.
Henderson opened ten designated schools across the district from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., to offer those families in need free breakfast and lunch, but it appears hardly anyone claimed their meal.
With just 15 minutes left to closing, Samuel Williams Jr. made it just in time to grab a meal for him and his son.
He didn't know about the lunches.
"I didn't know. And I ran up here," Williams said, doing a little dance that he successfully made it.
This was at Ballou High School in Southeast D.C. Williams told WUSA9 the meal means everything to him since he could only get a few things for the blizzard with food stamps, mostly canned goods.
"A meal, life, food so I can eat. It means a lot," he told WUSA 9, which is why the few people that did take advantage of the free breakfast and lunch offered were very concerned.
At Eastern High School in Northeast D.C., Nancy Parris was shocked there were not more people there.
"I know that they have the shelter at D.C. General, I don't know if they heard about it or if they went down there and tried to tell them that they have a family shelter there. So I don't know if they know about it," Parris said.
Her neighbor, who grabbed a meal and sat down at the same table, got right on the phone after to let a few friends know there were free hot meals being offered. Parris didn't necessarily need the meal but was grateful none-the-less.
"I think it was a good break just to not have to cook and a way to get out," she said before her 5-year-old son let out a huge belch!
They were at the school sledding, later also wondering if the people who knew about the free meals were even able to make it out. WUSA9 saw much of Northeast and Southeast trying to dig out on Monday (along with many other areas across the DMV).
A volunteer at Ballou, Arlene Thompson said, "I would not ever say it's not needed. It's always needed, but most of the people probably couldn't get out."
Michele Franklin, who also just beat the clock, had a different theory. "The people don't believe it. They have to see for them to have to believe it. Like the snow. They don't believe it," she said.
With schools closed on Tuesday, free breakfast and lunch will be offered once more at the same schools open Monday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The list of schools where the lunches will be offered is as follows:
- Anacostia High School, 1601 16th Street, SE
- Ballou High School, 3401 4th Street, SE
- Brookland Middle School, 1150 Michigan Avenue, NE
- Cardozo Education Campus, 1200 Clifton Street, NW
- Columbia Heights Education Campus, 3101 16th Street, NW
- Coolidge High School, 6315, 5th Street, NW
- Eastern High School, 1700 East Capital Street, NE
- Jefferson Middle School Academy, 801 7th Street, SW
- McKinley Technology High School, 151 T Street, NE
- H.D. Woodson High School, 540 55th Street, NE
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