Category Archives: Nutrition Services

HISD to open 12 Curbside Summer Meals distribution sites on Monday

Seven sites to provide food for students and families in partnership with Houston Food Bank

When the Houston Independent School District reopens its curbside summer meals program on Monday, July 20, it will do so with 12 sites strategically located throughout the city.

Seven of those locations will be operated in partnership with the Houston Food Bank, allowing families to pick up several days’ worth of student meals as well as packages of produce — and other food items when available — for families.

HISD Nutrition Services previously operated several dozen smaller sites but streamlined operations to maximize resources in areas with the most need and reduce staff needed on site as COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the city.

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Most Curbside Summer Meals sites temporarily close for two weeks beginning Friday, July 3

The Houston Independent School District is temporarily closing most Curbside Summer Meals sites beginning Friday, July 3, due to guidance from public health officials and rising numbers of COVID-19 cases throughout the city.

Five strategically located sites offering both Curbside Summer Meals and the Houston Food Bank’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program — which provides families with 30-pound boxes of produce — will remain open.

Those sites are Sam Houston Math, Science, and Technology Center, Revere Middle School, and Kashmere, Chavez, and Milby high schools.

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Fresh Bus produce delivery program set to end this week

The Fresh Bus produce delivery program will come to an end this week as the grant provided by the Texas Department of Agriculture Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program has concluded.

Final produce deliveries scheduled for Thursday are canceled due to inclement weather.

Families in need are encouraged to visit one of the district’s Curbside Summer Meals sites, where they  can pick up several days’ worth of student meals on Mondays and Thursdays.

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Chavez HS curbside summer meal site closed beginning Monday

The curbside summer meals site at Chavez High School is temporarily closed for cleaning and sanitization due to a possible case of the COVID-19 virus.

The new site had been scheduled to begin serving curbside summer meals for students and boxed produce for families on Monday. It is now closed until further notice. 

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Summer meals close at Paige and Port Houston, re-open at Oates

Two curbside summer meals sites will be closed from June 15 to June 29, following a confirmed case of the COVID-19 virus.

Paige and Port Houston elementary schools will be deep-cleaned and sanitized during the temporary closure.

Impacted employees have been notified and are now in self-quarantine in accordance with public health guidelines. Health authorities do not believe families participating in the curbside summer meals program were exposed.

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Three summer meals sites closed, beginning Monday

Three curbside summer meals sites are closed effective Monday, June 8, and will remain closed until further notice.

Summer meals sites at R. P. Harris and Nathaniel Q. Henderson elementary schools are closed due to facility issues, while the site at Oates Elementary School is closed due to a confirmed case of the COVID-19 virus. The case is not related to HISD Nutrition Services or its curbside summer meals program, but it does impact the availability of the site.

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Six summer meals sites, all Fresh Bus produce delivery canceled for Thursday

Six curbside summer meals sites and all Fresh Bus produce delivery stops have been canceled for Thursday, June 4, following a confirmed case of the COVID-19 virus.

The six summer meals sites closed on Thursday include Bastian, Foster, Shearn, Thompson, and Whidby, and R. P. Harris elementary schools. All other scheduled summer meals sites will remain open.

The temporary closure will allow for deep cleaning and sanitization of affected schools and district facilities. Fresh Bus produce delivery and the curbside summer meals site at R. P. Harris Elementary School are expected to resume normal operations on Monday, June 8. The remaining five school sites are expected to reopen Thursday, June 18.

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HISD adds six new sites to curbside summer meals program

The Houston Independent School District has added six school sites to its curbside Summer Meals program, which launched Monday, June 1.

New locations include:

  • Holland Middle School, 1600 Gellhorn Dr.; 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  • Pilgrim Academy, 6302 Skyline Dr.; 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  • Shadowbriar Elementary School, 2650 Shadowbriar Dr.; 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Ashford Elementary School, 1815 Shannon Valley Dr.; 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  • Piney Point Elementary School, 8921 Pagewood Lane; 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Emerson Elementary School, 9533 Skyline Dr.; 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
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Fresh Bus produce delivery program announcing new stops

The Fresh Bus produce delivery program is announcing new community stops to better serve students and families.

The new stops will be located at apartment complexes that surround the 68 participating schools and have high student populations. Families can go direct to their closest pick-up site. No survey or registration is required.

All students enrolled at the 68 participating schools are eligible. A complete list of schools is available at HoustonISD.org/FreshBus.

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HISD launches new programs to build on success of community food distribution

As the school year wraps up, the Houston Independent School District is revving up its nutrition outreach efforts with the launch of curbside summer meals for students and the Fresh Bus produce delivery program.

The programs come on the heels of the district’s successful community food distribution initiative, which ran for nine weeks following HISD’s closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coordinated by HISD in partnership with the Houston Food Bank, the program, provided nearly 7 million pounds of food to more than 160,000 families during that time.

“When everything around us was shutting down due to the pandemic, it became essential for us to be there for our students and their families,” HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “I’m proud of the hard work and dedication that went into this effort. Remarkably, we were able to impact so many families.”

The district is aiming to build upon that success with the launch if it’s annual and state-mandated summer meals program, which begins June 1. Families will be able to pick up packaged student meals twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays at one of 71 designated schools across the district. Families will receive several days’ worth of food per child.

HISD Meal Programs At a Glance
Summer Meals HISD Curbside Summer Meals
  • Begins June 1
  • Pick up on Mondays and Thursdays at 71 schools
  • Meals are free to ages 1-18
  • Proof of enrollment or birth certificate required for children not in the vehicle
  • Participating schools available at HoustonISD.org/SummerMeals
Fresh Bus Produce Delivery
  • Program runs through July
  • Daily delivery to rotating community locations
  • Produce is free for families at 68 designated schools
  • Participating schools and rotating delivery sites available at HoustonISD.org/FreshBus
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