The staff of Elleven 17 restaurant is delivering meals to children out of school due to coronavirus concerns.

MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Colquitt County School System closed Monday in the wake of COVID-19. With it comes an extra worry: How will school-provided lunches be replaced? 

To that, Marquesa Thomas, owner of the Elleven17 Restaurant, said, “Don’t worry mamas, we got you.” Only while supplies last though.

Thomas and the staff of the Elleven17 restaurant have been taking orders and setting up for free lunch deliveries and pick-ups since the announcement of the school system’s closing on March 14. She said the internet’s response was a call to action.

“I saw a lot of people posting about lunch like how they’d be feeding their kids while school was out,” she said. “That’s a good way that we could help.”

Elleven17 began its deliveries and pick-ups on Monday, reaching more than 100 deliveries on the first day of service. Thomas said they’d be doing these free lunches for students aged 3-17 through March 27, but only during the weekdays.

Parents can set up deliveries for the whole week, just a couple of days or only one day. The plan is to do hot lunches each day, but a set menu isn’t confirmed, Thomas said.

“We serve soul food, so we’re planning to do hot lunches, but some days we can do quick lunches,” she said.

Thomas also said that Elleven17 is accepting donations in the form of individual chips, drinks and napkins, but not prepared or need-to-be prepped food items.

To set up a pick-up or delivery, Elleven17 can be reached at 229-429-5390 or on its Facebook page through Messenger. Plates can be picked up at 11 a.m. from its location at 1520 South Main Street.

The schools’ nutrition service is also working to take care of students. The service announced its implementation of Phase I of the meal contingency plan on Tuesday. 

All the Nutrition Service’s perishable items — milk, eggs, bread, and fresh fruit and vegetables — will be donated to the Colquitt County Food Bank since the schools won’t be using them in the immediate future, according to a school system press release.

Any of the school system’s families in need can go to the Food Bank during designated times to receive these items

“This will allow families the opportunity to not only obtain perishable items of need at one location versus travel throughout the county to school sites but other items that are also available at the Food Bank,” the press release read.

The Food Bank’s distribution days and times will be as follows: Thursday, March 19, 9 a.m.-noon; Friday, March 20, 9 a.m.-noon; Monday, March 23, 9 a.m.-noon; and Tuesday, March 24, 9 a.m.-noon.

The school system is still monitoring community needs as it works to establish Phase 2 of its meal contingency plan.