Deborah Prescott | Daily Press Escanaba Food Service Director Nancy LaFave places a food tray into the bottom plate indention, demonstrating the operations of a meal packaging machine in the school’s kitchen Wednesday.

ESCANABA — Each week school food service workers and volunteers come together and make up food boxes for families with children. The process has gone beyond just serving students and has brought a feeling of camaraderie among people serving others.

There is a lot that goes into a food box before it is picked up. Food items are gathered, dates and times are set and in some cases delivery routes are planned.

“Every week I wonder if there will be enough volunteers to arrive and help get the work done,” said Escanaba Food Service Director Nancy LaFave. “I know of food service directors downstate who have no help from co-workers, saying food service is not their job. It surprises me to hear that. We just go ahead and do things to help others up here.”

In Escanaba, food boxes are distributed Tuesday afternoon and into the evening. People create food boxes in the high school all morning into the afternoon and have them ready for families to pick up the same day between 3 and 6 p.m.

Three new machines arrived at the high school to help LaFave and her team make homemade “Mo Mini Meals.” The machines are meal packaging machines from Oliver Packaging and Equipment ofWalker, Mich. After seeing the packaging machine operate, LaFave told Michigan Department of Education, Office of Health and Nutrition Services, Director Diane Golzynski she was interested in getting one for Escanaba.

“The company provided us with three machines after they learned how many food boxes were going out,” said LaFave.

Oliver Packaging and Equipment lease the machines to Escanaba for free, materials — trays and film — cost a fee.

“The company is really working with us and helping us feed kids,” said LaFave.

The manual packaging system sits on a countertop. A tray is placed into a bottom metal plate. Food is placed into the food tray. The machine seals film to the tray using heat and cuts the film to size when the operator pulls down the handle.

“We created 3,000 meals this week and plan to create 3,300 next week,” said LaFave.

Mid Peninsula volunteers and food service workers meet as a group and pack food boxes while wearing masks and gloves before delivering each box to families homes.

“We ensure we send fruits, vegetables, milk and school lunch and breakfast items the best we can,” said Mid Peninsula Superintendent Eric VanDamme.

Big Bay de Noc students received an extra fun treat in April. Superintendent Diana Thill said the district was able to work with Sayklly’s in Escanaba to provide each child on the distribution route with a personalized fudge egg for Easter.

“Community partners like The Community Foundation for Delta County have helped tremendously,” said Thill. “Additionally, we have been able to work with small, local businesses to expand our offering to our students.”

Bark River-Harris Superintendent Jason Lockwood praises the food service team on doing an exceptional job in every aspect of the program.

“They take care of all the ordering, packing and distributing of the meals,” said Lockwood. “They’ve gone above and beyond from day one and have served our community very well.

School Lunch Hero Day is today, May 1. The eighth annual celebration of school food service providers will be different this year. Next time you pick up a food box or have one delivered take the opportunity to recognize the hard-working people, whether food service workers or volunteers, who take their time to prepare boxes.

Below is the latest information of food box availability:

BARK RIVER-HARRIS — General meal pickup will continue throughout the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. Families can pick up two days worth of meals Monday, and three Wednesday from 1 to 2 p.m. in the back parking lot at the Bark River-Harris School.

HANNAHVILLE – Hannahville meals are available for pick up Mondays between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the Nah Tah Wahsh School. Meals are delivered in instances where transportation is a barrier.

BIG BAY de NOC — Meals are delivered to students’ homes Thursdays. Families are asked to place a receptacle at the end of their driveway for delivery personnel to place food in.

ESCANABA — Meals are available for curbside pickup Tuesdays between 3 and 6 p.m. Meals can be picked up in the west side parking lot at the Escanaba High School. Curb-side pickup will continue each Tuesday through to the end of the 2019-2020 school year.

GLADSTONE — Student meals are available to pick up between 2 and 6 p.m. on Mondays at the James T. Jones Elementary and W C Cameron Elementary schools. Distribution will continue until the 2019-2020 school year ends.

MANISTIQUE — Families can pick up student meals at the following locations. Manistique Middle High School – Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Gulliver Crossroads – Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Germfask Community Center – Monday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Little Bear Arena – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Linda’s Breadbox – Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

MID PENINSULA — Any family who would like a student meal will continue to receive meals delivered to their homes through June 5. Mid Pen personnel meet Mondays and deliver food boxes including seven days of breakfast, lunch and a snack.

NORTH CENTRAL — Currently meals are being prepared Mondays and delivered to families in the school district on Tuesdays beginning at 8 a.m.

RAPID RIVER — Families can pick up student meals from Rapid River school Mondays from 2 to 6 p.m. Currently pick up of meals will continue until the scheduled last day of the 2019-2020 school year.very well.”