UPDATE: This has been updated for the week of March 23, with a modified schedule and locations. Please see below for changes.

Part of the concern about closing schools amidst this COVID-19 coronavirus emergency was the issue of food insecurity. Because it is a Title I district (meaning that a large percentage of students live at or below the poverty level), all students in the School District of Philadelphia are offered breakfast and lunch at no cost every school day, regardless of their individual household incomes. This breaks down barriers some parents may face in applying for relief, and the stigma kids face at other schools where “school lunch debt” becomes a shaming mechanism. The fact that closing schools to prevent the spread of an unprecedented virus could leave children hungry across the city was a grim reality to address.

The School District—along with the City’s Office of Children and Families, Parks & Recreation, and many other departments and nonprofit partners—announced that they will be providing meal service in safe spaces throughout the city on the days that schools are closed. You can find an interactive map here, or read below for the list of sites for meals. The city is working with nonprofit partners to identify food pantries and meal sites that are open on weekends as well, so check back for updates.

District schools open Mondays and Thursdays, 9 am – noon.

Families will receive six meals per student—3 breakfasts and 3 lunches:

In addition to these sites, various charter schools throughout the city will be open from 9 am – noon on varying days. See the city’s interactive map for details.

The Philadelphia Housing Authority has six community centers open for “grab-and-go” meals for breakfast and lunch from Monday through Friday, 9 am to noon beginning on March 23.