Centralia church offering free lunches as COVID-19 outbreak stretches on

CENTRALIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Centralia First Baptist Church is offering free to-go lunches Thursday and Friday to help students who rely on free and reduced-price lunch.

"The school district is planning to feed kids starting on Monday," pastor Chris Baker said. "We are trying to bridge the gap until that time, especially for the kids in town who are on free or reduced lunch programs."

The meals will be available for pickup between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. outside the church's Fellowship Hall.

Baker said there are no immediate plans to help the community beyond this week, but the church is looking at ways to deliver meals to the homes of those who are most at-risk during the outbreak.

While Baker said the church does have the funding to provide support for the community, it will accept donations.

"We will continue to seek out ways to love Centralia in the days ahead, so if anyone wants to donate money we will see that it is used specifically to help meet needs caused by the COVID-19 outbreak," Baker said.

Schools around Mid-Missouri have shut their doors until at least early April as they try to stop the spread of COVID-19. The first death in Missouri from the virus was recorded Wednesday in Boone County.