Fox 4: Metro organizations step up to help after KCPS temporarily suspends meal distribution

By Jessica Eley

The Kansas City Public School District says between 15,000 and 16,000 students attend their schools. All of them receive either free or reduced meals.

Since school's been out, KCPS says it's served more than 65,000 meals to students. That will temporarily come to a halt this week.

Children's Mercy, which normally serves about 25 to 30 meals a day at each of their five locations, is preparing to distribute more meals this week.

"We anticipate today that our demand will grow much higher. So we’re planning at Don Chisolm site, as well as at Broadway, that we can go up to 100 or more meals to provide today," Children's Mercy Director of Community Health Initiatives, Margo Quiriconi said.

Children's Mercy said they're ready to assist the district, as long as they're needed.

"We’re trying to be very nimble at this time. To be able to see how we can serve the students when the school district operations are not up to their full capacity," Quiriconi said.

See the full story via Fox 4

Learn more about the Children's Mercy Free Lunch Program