Hello Oakland Unified Community,
Under the CARES act, we have been distributing produce and dairy boxes to our community through our grab and go meal service. Last Thursday, those boxes contained a letter from President Donald Trump, which was distributed nationwide. It has been criticized because it arrived just weeks before the presidential election.
The CARES Act, which had to pass Congress before being signed into law by the president, had the support of all of our local representatives including Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, and U.S. Senator and Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Our nutrition services team has distributed the produce and dairy boxes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other philanthropic partners during much of the pandemic. We will continue to distribute these food boxes, which come to us through the Alameda County Community Food Bank (ACCFB), as they supplement the meals we provide for students during distance learning. It is possible future boxes will contain the same or a similar letter from the president.
As a reminder to our community, OUSD is a sanctuary district, inside a sanctuary city, inside a sanctuary state, which means we support ALL of our students, families and staff no matter where they came from or how they got here. We provide food every Monday and Thursday at 22 sites across the city, and will do so with or without a message from the government.
For more information about our grab and go program, visit our website www.ousd.org/nutrition. And please remember to wear a mask or other face covering anytime you go outside.
In community,
Preston Thomas
Chief Systems and Services Officer