Emergency Meals-to-You (eMTY) provided weekday breakfasts and lunches to rural students who were receiving those meals through the National School Lunch Program at a free or reduced-price but temporarily cannot receive school meals due to emergency school closures. eMTY mailed 10 breakfasts and 10 lunches every two weeks directly to the student’s home while schools are closed due to COVID-19. The program ran in North Carolina during the summer of 2020.
More than 1.6 million meals were delivered to more than 13,000 children from 20 school districts across North Carolina. Carolina Hunger Initiative led the effort to onboard school districts and collect applications from families in North Carolina to expedite the state’s participation in this high-demand program. Click here to read a press release from the height of the program, and learn more about the program’s success in North Carolina.
“You have NO IDEA how much these boxes have helped my family. My children and I truly look forward to what’s in the box when we receive them.” — Vance County Parent
“I am so thankful for the food that is coming in every two weeks. It is a blessing to be able to receive this much food. The kids really enjoy it.” — Bertie County Parent
The program is a collaboration between the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Baylor Collaborative on Poverty and Hunger at Baylor University. Carolina Hunger Initiative (based at UNC-Chapel Hill) is helping NC families and school districts connect with the program.
Please note: Emergency Meal-to-You is a USDA program conducted by Baylor University, with assistance in North Carolina from the Carolina Hunger Initiative. The NC Department of Public Instruction is not involved in the administration of this program. This relationship is between the parent and the Emergency Meals-to-You program. All questions and follow-up will be directly with Baylor University and the Carolina Hunger Initiative.
To see Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for families (specific to North Carolina), go here.
To see Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for school districts (nationwide information), go here.
For more information, reach out to CarolinaHungerInitiative@unc.edu.