TORRINGTON – The world knew a lot of things were going to change in February when the first case of novel coronavirus, now known as COVID-19, came stateside. 

But no one could have expected the impact it would have on every aspect of life. 

In just a month since the first case was diagnosed in California, COVID-19 is in all 50 states. In Wyoming, it has managed to double its case count every three days. Movie theaters, hair salons, tattoo shops – they’re all closed. Restaurants can only serve to-go orders. Grocery stores are open, but some shelves are bare thanks to the panic buying that came as a result of the pandemic. 

Perhaps the most heartbreaking of all the closed buildings, though, are the schools. 

Windows that were, just a few weeks ago, decorated with students’ artwork have gone dark. The basketballs stopped bouncing. The stages are empty. The classrooms are vacant. Essentially, it looks like everyone left after a normal day, and never came back. 

As of now, that’s exactly what happened. 

There is one area at Trail Elementary that’s still buzzing, though – the kitchen. 

When Governor Mark Gordon issued an order closing schools until April 6, which he extended to April 17 on Friday, it also shut down the source of breakfast and lunch for thousands of students statewide. 

After the order came from Cheyenne, Patty Essert, food service director for Goshen County School District No. 1, immediately went to work to ensure that no Goshen County students were left hungry as the pandemic spread. 

The meals do a lot to put parents at ease during an uncertain time. 

“I think if the parents come out, they’re concerned,” she said. “They’re concerned about what they’re going to feed their kids for the day. It’s the parents that are coming out to get them for the kids. I don’t think anybody is participating that isn’t worried about that. 

Essert and a team of volunteers working out of the kitchens at Trail and Lingle-Fort Laramie elementary schools have fed hundreds of students each day. They load the meals into coolers, then into Suburbans to be delivered all over the district – From LaGrange to Fort Laramie.  

An amazing effort

GCSD Superintendent Ryan Kramer had an idea before the district went on spring break that students might not be able to return when it was over. Schools in other states had already cancelled weeks of school. In some places, the entire year was cancelled. 

Kramer said he mentioned the potential cancellation to Essert, who then sprang into action. 

“That was amazing,” Kramer said. “In the week leading up to the possibility of school closure, we had mentioned to Patty that we’d really like to see this happen if we can. It was amazing how she and her food service personnel were able to, from day one, had it going and had kids served. The number of locations they have is simply amazing. I can’t say enough about the support they gave and the effort.”

Essert went to work immediately. She submitted the same paperwork she would for the summer food program, and on Wednesday, March 18, Essert, members of her food service staff and a team of volunteers began to deliver food. 

“We had heard there was lots of talk about it,” Essert said. “We started investigating doing what we needed to do. We’re with the national school lunch program, so I knew we’d have to submit the paperwork for the summer program. The first two days, parents knew the kids weren’t going to be there. We didn’t anticipate that, but we knew Wednesday that when they were thinking they were going to be sending their kids back, they needed a place for that to happen.”

As a part of the Emergency Proclamation Food Service Program, Essert’s team set up 10 locations where students could pick up meals throughout the county. The drop points are as close as Trail Elementary, where a lot of the meals are prepared, to Lagrange Elementary. There are even stops at community parks, the Fort Laramie Community Center and the Hawk Springs Community Center. All of the different locations make the service more accessible to as many students as possible. 

Each meal consists of a lunch for that day and a breakfast for the next morning. The meals are for all children 18 and under, and are free for the students. 

Essert said it takes between four and six people in the kitchen to assemble the meals.

“We’ve had a great group of volunteers,” she said. “We’ve had teachers come in and volunteer, and then yesterday they sent out a sign-up sheet. 

One of those volunteers is Cody Peachey, who normally works as a paraprofessional in the district. While school staff will be paid their normal rates during the pandemic cancellations, Peachey said he still wanted to do his part. 

“I enjoy helping out the kids,” he said. “A lot of the kids I know, so it’s seeing old faces and catching up during this break we’re having.”

Helping the food service effort has helped him feel like he’s making a difference in the battle against COVID-19. It’s also helping him continue valuable relationships he has formed with students. 

“I think so, especially when you look at the numbers,” he said. “There’s a lot of meals a week. 

“I knew there was a possibility (we would close), but I didn’t realize it was going to happen so soon. I didn’t realize we’d have to close down like we did.”

For the kids

If you didn’t know any better, you’d think the hustle and bustle in the Trail kitchen was just a normal day. 

But upon further inspection, it’s not. The cafeteria and hallways are silent, and the classrooms are dark. In the kitchen itself, there are a few stark reminders of the COVID-19 situation. 

Beside the menu on a dry erase board, volunteers are reminded to change gloves as needed, to frequently wash their hands and sanitize. The board says they are to have no bare hand contact with the food. The master delivery schedule hangs on the wall of the large walk-in refrigerator. 

Peachey said he worries about the virus. Essert does, too – but the volunteers are taking all of the precautions they can while performing one of the most essential services. 

“We all do. Some more than others,’ Essert said. “We’re doing our part by making sure we’re washing our hands and using gloves and staying as far away as we can. It’s hard to work with someone when you’re six foot apart, but we just do what we can do. 

“It is what it is. People have to do what they’re comfortable with and we’ll just keep doing what we can do. This is what we’re trained for. I’ve been trained for 20 years. I always knew that in an emergency situation, we’d have to step in and apply it.”

The school meal program isn’t immune to a lot of the issues facing food providers everywhere. On Thursday, Essert was calling around to different suppliers trying to find enough milk to get the students through Monday’s service. 

“I needed 40 cases and got six,” she said. “I needed 1,900 pieces and I got 300. 

“I have some coming Monday afternoon, but I still need some for Monday morning. I called the grocery store to see if they would be able to order some from their vendor. I have a number to call in Scottsbluff to see if they have any extra.”

It’s the same strain on the supply chain felt by grocery stores, who are also struggling to keep their shelves full due to COVID-19 panic-buying. Many of the products originate from the same location, and GCSD No. 1 isn’t immune to the issue. 

“Everybody is dealing with it,” she said. “It’s not just us. It’s just the way it is. We’re not serving as many kids as we usually do, but the supply is less.  

“It’s probably going to get more difficult until they get the shipping and receiving part figured out.”

Essert and her crew will get it handled, and kids will be fed. Kramer said feeding children who rely on school meals was one of the district’s first concerns when the schools were ordered to close. 

“That first day, it was all hands on deck,” he said. “Our first priority was how we were going to keep kids safe and how we were going to keep them fed. I can’t thank them enough for the job they did.”

It’s all about what’s best for the kids, Essert said. As classes move online, graduation dates are in jeopardy and even the date for that most sacred coming-of-age tradition, prom, could change. 

But there’s one thing that won’t. Under Essert and her staff’s watch, no kid will go hungry. 

“It’s nice that we have the people that are dedicated to taking care of the kids,” Essert said. “From the admins, to the teachers, to the paras. Everybody just wants to be back to work and do what’s best for the kids.”