The school district’s food service provider, Whitsons Culinary Group, is providing lunches and breakfasts to all residents under the age of 18 who are in need of food.

“You don’t have to be a student. It’s open to anybody 18 years of age or younger. We’ve also been approved to hand out food on the weekends... for families who have signed up and are in need,” Whitsons Culinary Group Food Service General Manager Joseph Stango explained this week.

Stango shared that since October 1, the new program has been district-wide, following federal and state approval.

“This goes until the end of the school year,” Stango said.

Whitsons Culinary Group has three employees overseeing the distribution in Newtown, according to Stango, and other towns have similar programs.

While Whitsons Culinary Group has been distributing food to district families in need since March 30 due to the pandemic, Stango observed that the need has been changing as the pandemic continues. On December 14, Stango said, 900 lunches and 900 breakfasts were handed out.

Stango said families sign up for the food service through e-mails sent to local families by the school district. Food is then handed out Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 am until noon. If people miss signing up by e-mail, they can still stop by for food. Monday’s distribution also included an extra hot chocolate box “just to kind of give them something to look forward to,” Stango said.

“We’re just happy we can be here to provide the service to the community as much as possible,” said Stango.

Lunches can include sandwiches, salads, bento boxes, and heat-and-serve frozen meals. Stango said there are roughly 15 different options people can select from. Recent bento boxes included pasta salad, peach parfait, and nachos. Frozen options have included barbecue rib sandwiches, chicken patties, lasagna, and macaroni and cheese. Recent sandwiches have included Italian combos, turkey and bacon ranch wraps, peanut butter and jelly, and tuna salad with pita.

“We try to keep it entertaining, a little bit,” Stango said.