By HANNA PENNINGTON The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The Huntington community is stepping up to help feed Tri-State children at risk of missing meals due to school closures in West Virginia aimed slowing the spread of COVID-19.
Although Cabell County Schools has established meal sites across the county — and with the state establishing more than 500 across the state — many local businesses also have chipped in to provide alternatives, should kids need another option.
“On Friday, when they announced that schools would be closing, we weren’t sure what food programs were going to be available to kids,” said Taylor Strickland, co-owner of Austin’s Homemade Ice Cream at The Market. “Obviously, they were able to put something together with the grab-and-go and the buses delivering, so we were very excited about that, but more so I felt the need to do my part in whatever way I could for kids around the community and set this up as a convenience.”
Strickland, along with other owners and staff of businesses in The Market on 3rd Avenue in downtown Huntington, worked over the weekend to put together about 250 bagged lunches to be picked up throughout the week.
Beginning Monday, parents or students were able to pick up the lunches from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. behind The Market, and the same service will be available each day. …
