Nebraska, Freemont, restaurant, free food for kids during virus

For families who need lunches now, Glen Ellis said his business, Milady Coffeehouse in downtown Fremont, will provide sack lunches to students in grades preschool through 12th or college students.

"We gave approximately 50 away today," said Jamie Brodd, a chef at Milady, who came up with the lunch sack idea.

Brodd said she knows many students depend on free or reduced-price lunches they wouldn’t receive due to school closures.

“There’s a short window here where there’s a need and I’m glad Jamie came up with the idea,” Ellis said. “We have no idea what to expect, but we’re going to give it our best.”

The sack lunches will consist of a meat or peanut and butter and jelly sandwich, a bag of potato chips and a cookie.

Students are welcome to get a sack lunch.

“If a parent comes in and says, ‘I need three lunches for my kids,’ we’re not going to question it. The child does not have to be present,” Ellis said.

Sack lunches will be available during Milady’s regular operating hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

People can request a sack lunch whether it will be eaten at the time or saved for the next day.

“If moms and dads want to come in and grab lunches for their kids for the next day, they’re welcome to do that as well,” Brodd said. “Until the resources dry up, we’ll keep fulfilling the need.”