Meal Distribution Information

January 12, 2021

Dear Hamden Families:

As we prepare for our students to return from distance learning, we would like notify our Hamden families of updates to our free meal distribution program.

•  On Thursday 1/14/2021 we will be serving 5 days worth of meals to children 18 and under at our 9 pickup locations from 9-12. There will be NO public meal pick-ups on Friday 1/15/2021
•  If your children currently have their meals delivered to them via our mobile meal service but will be returning to hybrid learning on 1/19/2021, please email Randall Mel at rmel@hamden.org to be removed from the mobile distribution list as this service will continue only for our full distance learners.

Changes upon return to the Hybrid Model:

• If your children will remain on full distance learning and you would like for their meals to be delivered, please email Kiara Morales at moralesk@whitsons.com.
• We will offer 7-day meal pack outs at Hamden High School twice per (usually Monday and Thursday) from 3PM-6PM in front of the Auditorium entrance. 
• During Dismissal on the last day of each week, all schools will offer weekend meals to all students.
• Meals service in the building will resume as it was prior to Distance learning.

For Refunds from your MySchoolBucks Account please email Sarah Hackett.

Welcome to 2021 and what we hope will be a better year for all of us!

Daily and weekend meals will continue to be available at our pick up locations. If interested, you may view our January Menus.

Dear Hamden Families:
We would like to announce an update to our meal distribution during the holiday break. 

On 12/23/2020 from 9AM-12PM, we will be serving 7 days’ worth of breakfast and lunches for all children 18 and under at all of our meal pick-up locations listed below. 

1. Alice Peck School (Main Entrance)

2. Bear Path School: (Cafeteria Entrance)

3. Church Street School (Bus Entrance)

4. Dunbar Hill School (Cafeteria Entrance)

5. Helen Street School (Main Entrance)

6. Hamden High School (Auditorium Entrance on Parkway Side)

7. Hamden Middle School (Cafeteria Entrance)

8. Ridge Hill School (Bus entrance)

9. Wintergreen School (HCLC Entrance)

On 12/30/2020, we will be providing 5 days’ worth of meals at Hamden High School from 9AM-12PM for all children 18 and under. 

These meals are provided at NO CHARGE to families

Happy Holidays to all!

Sincerely, 

Your local Whitsons School Nutrition Team
Randall Mel ​Jr., ​Kiara Morales, ​Sarah Hackett

As Hamden Public Schools transitions to a full distance learning environment, we want to reassure families during this time that Whitsons School Nutrition and Hamden Public Schools will continue provide meals to all children each and every day. The meals will continue to be provided at NO CHARGE to all children.

We will be offering a daily pick-up option at each of the schools listed below from 9am-12PM: There is no sign-up or pre-order necessary. On the last day of each week we will offer meals for the weekend/holiday weekend. Any students who are in the buildings for Early Learning, Right At School, YMCA and Special Education at these schools will be provided breakfast and lunch before and after the public meal service. You may pick up meals at any of these locations, regardless of which school your children attend:

• Hamden High School
• Alice Peck School
• Church Street School
• Dunbar Hill School
• Helen Street School
• Shepherd Glen School
• Wintergreen School

We will also continue to offer our mobile delivered services through First Student buses to all families who cannot make it to any of these sites. For those interested please email Randall Mel, Food Service Director, at rmel@hamden.org.

Meals will also be provided over the Thanksgiving and winter breaks.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Food Service Office at 203-230-1010

Distance Learning Meal Program:

Option 1: 7 Day Pack-outs for full distance learners and other Hamden Families with Children 18 and under

• Available on Monday or first school day of each week as follows

• • Hamden High: 1:30-2:30PM
  • Hamden Middle: 2:00-2:30PM
  • Alice Peck: 1:30-2:30 PM
  • Bear Path, Ridge Hill and West Woods: 2:30-3:00PM
  • Church St, Dunbar, Helen St, Shepherd, Spring: 2:00-3:00PM

Option 2: Daily Pack-out for hybrid learners and other Hamden Families with Children 18 and under

• Available Monday-Friday at Hamden High from 3:00-6:00PM, and Includes weekend Meal Pack-out on Friday

Option 3: Mobile Meals

• Available to only full distance learners by request to food service office via call 203-230-1010 or email to rmel@hamden.org. moralesk@whitsons.com or  hacketts@whitsons.com
• Mobile Meal Distribution will begin the week of November 2. 

Integrity Statement:

• By participating in one of the above options, Hamden families will not take part in the other two options for distance learning feeding.

If their children are under the hybrid model for school, they may not participate in options 1 or 3 as they are being offered meals during school hours. However, they may participate in option 2 as there are s

Dear Hamden Public School Families:

We are thrilled to announce yet another opportunity for meal distributions here at Hamden Public Schools for children 18 and under. Beginning November 4^th, 2020; Whitsons School Nutrition, Hamden Public Schools and First Student Transportation will be offering our mobile meal services to our full distance learning families in addition to our other distribution options.

What are Mobile Meals?

• Mobile Meals are breakfast and lunch meals prepared by Whitsons School Nutrition in Full Compliance with federal meal standards that are prepared and delivered right to your door through the collaboration with Hamden Public Schools and First Student Transportation.

Who are mobile meals for?

• Mobile Meals will be offered to any and all full distance learners in Hamden Public Schools

How do you sign up for these?

• Sign-up is Very easy! Between October 19^th and November 1^st, we ask that everyone interested do their best to sign up for the meals by either calling the Food Service Office at 2032301010 or emailing the management team (all contact information down below). This information will be processed and given to first student to create travel routes to deliver to your house during the school day.

How often will I receive these meals?

• We are striving to provide these meal services twice per week (selected days to come). Over the course of the week we will be providing your children with 7 days’ worth of breakfast and lunch meals.

What information do we need when taking your request?

• We simply need your Full Name, Address, Number of Children 18 and under in your house, and if you have any dietary restrictions we should be aware of.

Most importantly, What’s on the Menu?

• We have planned a variety of hot options for you to “heat at home” as well as a variety of cold meal options. All meals come with a variety of fruits, vegetables and milk. Our menu will be posted on the HPS website

We hope that this opportunity serves our families well and we look forward to hearing from you.

To contact us, please reach out to:

Randall Mel Jr.
Food Service Director
Hamden Public Schools
rmel@hamden.org

Kiara Morales (bilingual in Spanish)
Assistant Manager
moralesk@whitsons.com

Sarah Hackett
Assistant Manager
hacketts@whitsons.com

You may also call our office at 2032301010. Please leave your full contact information and a brief message and we will get back to you if we miss your call.

Thank you all -

Randall G Mel Jr.

Randall Mel Jr.
Food Service Director
Hamden Public Schools
rmel@hamden.org

Dear Families of Hamden Public Schools:

We have heard your requests regarding meals for distance learners and we are happy to announce several changes we will be making beginning 10/19/20 including the reintroduction of 7 day meal services district wide!

Beginning 10/19/2020 we will now open Meal Distribution sites as follows for all children 18 and under:

Hamden High School:

• Hamden High School will serve as the centralized Daily Meal Distribution Sites and will be open Monday Through Friday from 3PM-6PM. The pick-up area will continue to be outside in front of the auditorium entrance. On Friday’s, we will be serving 3 days’ worth of meals to all families coming to pick up meals.
• On Monday of each week (or the first open school day of the week), High School will be serving 7 days’ worth of meals for our community and for our Full Distance Learners from 1:30PM-2:30PM.

Elementary Schools:

• On Monday of each week (or the first open school day of the week), ALL 8 Elementary Schools will be serving 7 days’ worth of meals for our community and for our Full Distance Learners from 2PM-3PM. These meals will be served outside in the front of the respective buildings or other designated location

Middle School:

• On Monday of each week (or the first open school day of the week), Hamden Middle School will be serving 7 days’ worth of meals for our community and for our Full Distance Learners from 1:30PM-2:30PM.

Alice Peck Learning Center:

• On Monday of each week (or the first open school day of the week), Alice Peck will be serving 7 days’ worth of meals for our community and for our Full Distance Learners from 1:30-2:30PM These meals will be served outside in the front of the respective buildings or other designated location

These meals remain free to all families with children ages 18 and under until 12-31-2020 which could continue if the USDA allows. Parents can pick up meals at the most convenient location nearest to them

Integrity statement:

All meal locations and meal bags will come with a meal integrity statement that reminds families that by selecting either the 7 day meal pick-up or the daily meal pick-up, that they should not go to another site to pick-up additional meals for the same group of children.

We are hoping to take on one more distribution method in the near future that we look forward to sharing with all of you.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the office of the Food Service Director. Contact information below

Respectfully,

Randall Mel Jr.
Food Service Director
rmel@hamden.org
203-230-1010

Sarah Hackett
Assistant Director
hacketts@whitsons.com

Kiara Morales
Assistant Director
moralesk@whitsons.com

The beginning of the school year is approaching and we would like to extend a warm welcome to let you know that Whitsons School Nutrition has exciting plans for the school meal program. Our goal is to serve nutritious, well-balanced meals that appeal to students and the school community. We are pleased to provide a comprehensive school dining program at Hamden Public Schools that meets the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program requirements and engages students in developing a positive “Fooditude.”

At Whitsons we have gone back to a time when good food was simple. As part of our Simply Rooted® Food Philosophy we are focused on using ingredients that are locally sourced, all-natural, organic or non-GMO, and minimally processed, whenever possible. We’ve gone back to our roots and we would like the entire Hamden Public Schools school community to join us on this journey. Some new items that may appear on menus include: waffles, organic veggie burgers, whole grain pasta with organic tomato sauce, organic applesauce and pineapple spears, and a variety of fresh fruit side dishes, just to name a few. 

Here is some general information that will be helpful to begin the new school year:

Meal Prices: FREE MEALS UNTIL DECEMBER 31^ST FOR ALL

On August 31^st, 2020, Secretary Purdue approved for the extension of free meals to all students 18 and under for districts who “opt in” through one of the two free meal programs. Hamden Public Schools applied and was approved for Free Meals for all registered students from September 15^th through December 31^st, 2020 or until the Connecticut State Department of Education and USDA declare otherwise.

This is a wonderful extension for our community as we will be able to serve all students breakfast and lunch for free.