Photo Provided The Marshall Mobile Food Bus will deliver pre-packaged breakfast and lunch for students through August through the Marshall County Schools Summer Food Program.

By ALAN OLSON

For the Times Leader

MOUNDSVILLE — Marshall County students will continue to receive food packages through the extended summer until the current start to the school year.

The Marshall Mobile Food Bus will deliver pre-packaged breakfast and lunch for students through August through the Marshall County Schools Summer Food Program, which was previously slated to end on Wednesday.

However, earlier this month, Gov. Jim Justice ordered that schools will not be permitted to reopen until Sept. 8, prompting the service to extend through the rest of the month.

The buses will continue to make stops at the same locations they have throughout the summer. However, double portions will be distributed, offering 10 days worth of meals. The buses will make rounds this Wednesday, and again on Aug. 19, breaking from the weekly distribution they have seen throughout the summer.

The bus will stop at the following locations:

∫ Cameron Elementary School 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.

∫ Sand Hill Elementary School 10:15 a.m. – 11 a.m.

∫ Oak Grove Church 10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.

∫ Sherrard Middle School 11 am. – noon

∫ Rustic Hills Apartments 11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

∫ Washington Lands Elementary School 11:15 a.m. – noon

∫ Limestone Presbyterian Church 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

∫ Stacey Crossing Apartments 11:30 a.m. – noon

∫ Moundsville Middle School 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

∫ St. Jude Park 12:15 p.m. – 1 p.m.

∫ Center McMechen Elementary School 12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.

∫ Hillview Apartments 12:45 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.

∫ Dorsey Street Apartments 1:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.

More than 1,500 students receive this aid throughout the summer, for a total of more than 70,000 meals distributed between June 3 and July 29, according to Child Nutrition Director Debbie Derico.

Earlier this year, Marshall County Schools partnered with The Vue — the restaurant at Grand Vue Park — to prepare food for students after the closure of schools in March. Since the beginning of summer, though, Derico said the work for the Summer Food Program has been handled entirely by the district’s cooks, aides and bus drivers.

While meals had previously been delivered daily, COVID-19 concerns had reduced the deliveries first to weekly drop-offs, and as of Wednesday to once every two weeks, in order to reduce the amount of contact between staffers and parents. Derico said the food offered will remain the same as it has throughout the summer, which consisted of shelf-stable and frozen options, to keep fresh longer.

In Ohio County, meals will continue to be delivered each Thursday through August 26. The last week’s pickup will instead be on Wednesday. Child Nutrition Secretary Lisa Murphy said the summer meal program delivers 2,100 packages of food each week.

The weekly distributions will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the following locations: Bridge Street MIddle School, the Island Marina Shelter, the Warwood School, the Oglebay Wagon Shed Shelter, the House of the Carpenter, Hil Dar (Exley Center), North Park Apartments, the Salvation Army on 16th Street, the Salvation Army on 33rd Street, the Dallas United Methodist Church, and the Valley Grove Volunteer Fire Department.