Neighboring school district offers helping hand with meals

The coronavirus pandemic has required many of us to conduct business in new ways. This has especially applied to schools and not just with Zoom calls and remote learning.

The Southeast Missourian recently reported that with about one-third of its school quarantined due to the pandemic, Shawnee School District in Wolf Lake, Illinois moved all instruction online. Part of the quarantined group was the entire kitchen staff. That's when the school district in Jonesboro, Illinois, stepped up.

The neighboring district, which uses Chartwells as its cafeteria contractor, jumped in to not only handle their own district's meals but also handle 207 breakfasts and lunches for the Shawnee students. The Shawnee School District appreciated the kindness and also credited state officials for approving the joint effort.

It's good to see neighbors helping neighbors during this pandemic. You never know if and when assistance will be needed, whether for individuals, businesses or schools. But if nothing else, COVID-19 has taught us we all need each other. In this case, it was producing meals. Hopefully this spirit of collaboration and kindness will continue well beyond the pandemic.