Garden Grove Unified preps take-home meal kits for Muslim students during Ramadan

Muslim students at the Garden Grove Unified School District will be able to take meal kits home during the holy month of Ramadan when they are otherwise fasting in observance during the school day.

Bento boxes with a meal, fruits, vegetables and a drink are set to be distributed for free to students who attend school and request them as a religious accommodation during the Islamic holy month, which begins on Friday.

Observant Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn until dusk during Ramadan until breaking their fast with meal called iftar.

Students can pick up the meal kits starting on March 3 through March 28.

The initiative came by way of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s approval of the California Department of Education’s waiver request to allow local school districts to distribute free meals from the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs for Muslim students to take home during Ramadan.

“We’re always looking for opportunities to serve our students,” said Agnes Lally, director of food services at Garden Grove Unified. “We have a very diverse population here at the district. When this waiver became available, we wanted to make sure that we had this opportunity for our fasting students.”

Garden Grove Unified completed and submitted an opt-in survey towards that end.

Parents and students interested in the take-home meal kits must complete an online form and notify the district of how many days during the week they will be requesting them.

“My staff will prepare the meal kits every day,” Lally said. “We’ll put together a bento box for breakfast and lunch with all the proper components. Before our staff goes home, they will deliver the meal kits to the school office.”

The program has gained praise from the greater Los Angeles area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

“This initiative exemplifies the values of understanding and respect that are crucial in educational settings, ensuring that all students, regardless of their background, feel supported,” said Hussam Ayloush, CAIR-LA’s executive director. “We hope that more school districts will take similar steps to ensure Muslim students feel seen and valued at school, not only during Ramadan but year-round.”

The meal kits see to it that observing Ramadan at the district won’t come at the expense of breakfast and lunch that students otherwise would have eaten during any other time of the school year.

“In our district, 81% of our students are socio-economically disadvantaged,” said Abby Broyles, a district spokeswoman. “Having free breakfast and lunch available during Ramadan, it’s a great service to ensure that those families still have access to free, nutritious meals.”