MATTHEWS, N.C. — Schools across the state of North Carolina will close Monday, March 16. It comes after Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order on Saturday.
All K-12 public schools across the state will be closed for at least two weeks due to coronavirus concerns.
Gov. Cooper acknowledged when making the announcement that it would impact children who depend on getting free meals at school. One restaurant in Matthews, North Carolina is hoping to help.
The Loyalist Market will be giving a free sandwich to any child that currently receives free lunches in the North Carolina school system, starting Tuesday, March 17 and going until March 30.
"We've been known to turn a bad situation into a good one before, so we're not taking any time to keep that trend going!" the restaurant said in a Facebook post.
The children get to choose between grilled cheese, a ham sandwich or a turkey sandwich.
On Thursday, the NC Department of Public Instruction, School Nutrition Division, received waiver approval from the US Department of Agriculture that will allow schools closed due to COVID-19 to serve meals through the National School Lunch Program’s Seamless Summer Option or the Summer Food Service Program "in a noncongregate setting."
Still, in light of Gov. Cooper's executive order, The Loyalist Market said they hope to help get the community through "this unprecedented and challenging time." One sandwich at a time.
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