Marina Reavis
Staff Reporter
Food, who does not love it? It is, not only a necessity, but also a generator of happiness enjoyed by everyone. With the sudden quarantine restricting people from leaving their houses, access to food becomes major issue. Here is a rundown on what you need to know to get your favorite meals.
Let's start with restaurants. To many peoples’ surprise, most restaurants are still open even during the pandemic. From fast food chains to local diners, restaurants manage to keep their doors open by making their menus take out only. For places like Mcdonald’s and Starbucks, customers can only order by drive-through and are not permitted to enter the building. For other restaurants without a drive through, they are taking pre-orders, which can be picked up at the door. Here is a list of a few other restaurants that are still open: Pita Kabob Grill, Bonita's, Einstein Bagels, Parsons Family Restaurant, Manuel’s Mexican Restaurant and Cantina, and all fast food restaurants. Go to each of their sites for more information on service hours.
For those who prefer not to leave the house, you are in luck. Postmates is still delivering food. They also have a new service called Non-Contact Delivery, in which the delivery person can leave the food right on your doorstep for you to pick up later. This is perfect for the social distancing protocols of the coronavirus. The Postmates website answers all your questions on how the coronavirus may affect their services, so be sure to check it out before ordering. Additionally, UberEats is also operating.
Aside from buying meals, grocery shopping is also a critical aspect of the food world, especially during the quarantine. Most, if not all, grocery stores are still open and will likely remain open for quite some time. There are some changes, however. For example, some stores may only allow customers who are over the age of 59 when they first open. Some stores may also limit how much of the same item you may purchase. In other words, you may only buy one pack of toilet paper per visit. Some open grocery stores near Ironwood high school include: Fry’s Food and Drug Store, Sprouts Farmer’s Market, Walmart, and Albertsons. If you are planning to visit any of these stores please remember to follow the CDC’s guidelines by keeping at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and others and by always washing or sanitizing your hands before and after visiting.
With the school closing for the rest of the year, low-income Students who rely on school meals as their main source of food face the challenge of finding a new source for food. Ironwood's cafeteria manager, Heidi Blank, gave a clear overview on how Ironwood is handling food distribution. She said, "it is not necessary that every kid has to be in the car, and we also allow students to walk or ride their bikes if they want. Ironwood['s] cafeteria staff is here everyday from 10:30- noon to feed any kid 18 and under. We are serving in the student parking lot off of 59th ave. We provide a free lunch and breakfast for the next morning. This is free and has nothing to do with any parents income, and they don't have to be on free or reduced lunch to come get a meal." For more details on other locations, go to peoriaunified.org.
Stay informed about the corona virus and your access to food. The peak of the virus is still to come so be prepared and stay safe.
Image Credit: Sharon Pittaway on Unsplash
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