Atlantic County teacher assistant helps deliver food to students in need during coronavirus pandemic

NEW JERSEY - Veronica Fath is a teacher assistant at Mainland Regional High School in Linwood, New Jersey, and right about the time that classes would have begun the emptiness of the school being closed was apparent everywhere except the cafeteria.

“From the minute we were starting to get wind that we may close, a couple of us were extremely passionate about making sure that we were still seen in the community to have a connection with the students,” Fath FOX 29.

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It’s clear that teaching students online is a challenge but not as much attention is being paid to all of the other needs unrelated to education that schools may fill. But the team quickly found out the COVID-19 pandemic has created an even larger need that many can understand.

“There’s about a group of 25 of us and we are delivering meals to the community of Somers Point, Linwood, and North Field, specifically to our children that are more at risk," she said.  "We’re also gotten many calls in the community from people who just need a little help right now and we’re also delivering to them."

The food is packed in the morning and then the school buses drive their normal routes but instead of picking up students, they’re dropping off food and checking in.

There were many waves and hellos and even the students who were doing just fine admitted that they have been looking forward to the visits.

The response from Fath at learning that someone had nominated her to be a hero surprised her, she didn’t think that she was one.

“It takes a village and this is not a one man show," she said.

This is a huge collaboration of an entire school telling our students that we love them and we’re here for them.”It’s fair enough, this entire group at Mainland Regional High School are all heroes – for goodness sake.

We want to hear from you. Tell us about a hero you know using the hashtag #FOX29Heroes or #ForGoodnesSake.
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