As a resident of Brick Township, New Jersey who has a Small Child attending public school, the Brick School District just sent out a notification reminding parents that if they are laid off, or their hours reduced, and therefore their income is reduced by the COVID-19 Pandemic, they are able to still apply for Reduced Fee Lunches and Breakfast using the School Cafe website (https://www.schoolcafe.com/#/initial).

The School Cafe website can be used to apply for Reduced or Free Lunch in Brick or Toms River at the very least, and for other districts I would recommend contacting your local school district to find out how to do so.

For those not aware all school districts are making Meals available to their students even during the shut down, but the process is different in every town. We have been told that in Toms River, you pick up a weeks worth of meals every time, where as in Brick you pick up twice a week (On Mondays for Monday and Tuesday; On Wednesday for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday). where as Lakewood Public Schools are delivering Student Meals to the child’s regularly scheduled morning bus stop, as well as allowing pickup at all Schools from 7:00am till 8:00am. The Lakewood Private schools have their own pickups.

While the process of waiting in line for food can feel like something out of an 80’s movie about an apocalypse, the goal is to provide for the children, while still flattening the curve.

If you have children and you are having trouble paying the bills, make sure you children have food to eat by taking advantage of the resources given above.