Restaurants across the U.S. feed kids for free during coronavirus pandemic

Many students rely on school lunches to stay fed during the day, and with the announcement that schools are closed, several restaurants have started giving free lunches to any student who needs them while they're home from school.

Video transcript

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JORDAN WRIGHT: Anyone under the age of 18 we feed for free, no questions asked, whether they are on reduced lunch program or not.

GINNY LEAVENS: We have been fortunate enough to try and help out the kids in our community by providing meals seven days a week.

MIKE WILLENBRING: 20% of the students have free or reduced lunches, so they can come and help themselves to a bagged lunch.

JOHN STETSON: Stoners Pizza Joint pledged 10,000 slices to families and kids who are without meals that they counted on through school, daycare centers, or any other avenues.

RACHEL SIEV: We decided to help out in our community in many different ways. And one of the ways that we're trying to do is help feed the children. They get to eat for free, anything we can help. I just think it helps out parents that they don't need to worry a whole lot about what they're preparing for dinner for their children.

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JORDAN WRIGHT: We posted on our Twitter and raised over $3,700 in a day, just helping us with a fund to pay for kids meals.

MIKE WILLENBRING: We've been getting donations from people doing takeout and people asking how they can help and donate. So we added a button on to our website where we've nearly raised $3,000.

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Our businesses is staying positive by focusing on all the good we can do.

GINNY LEAVENS: We're just trying to take things day by day. We're happy to still be open. And we're just trying to stay positive as a team and continue to provide excellent food and excellent bagels to our community.

JORDAN WRIGHT: Nudges, little encouragements, making sure we're smiling in the line, you know, while they're asking them to keep social distancing and the things that are really important to us and the world right now. Anyone that's coming up is telling us, hey, we're glad what you're doing. Thank you for staying open. We appreciate you for doing what you're doing.

RACHEL SIEV: I know we can do this. We are Americans. And I know that during these hard times we become even stronger.