This system of handing out lunches in compostable boxes consists of parent volunteers making the lunches and dropping them off at the booth or to Mountain Roots. The organization opens the booth every morning before school to hand out the lunches as well as healthy snacks for any kid to pick up.

The goal is to mainly meet an immediate need, but as Briggs and Conn are discovering, this can also be a way to achieve some long-term goals.

“We’re able to have those conversations at that young age about what it means to eat healthy and why it's important that we all do,” said Briggs.

That education piece is a big part of Mountain Roots’ mission, as well as getting people to understand that every kid deserves more than just calories to fill their bellies: access to good, healthy food is key. 

“I think there's a stigma that all kids and families that live in mountain towns have the means to purchase healthy food to pack and just get their kids food. And that's simply not the case,” said Briggs.

The school district says in the Crested Butte school, which is elementary and secondary, six percent of the students qualify for free and reduced-price meal eligibility at this time. That is 45 students out of 759 students.

“It's still a lot of students that rely on the school for their daily nutrition," Briggs explained. "And I think that stigma too is often why mountain towns in these smaller communities that have that sort of shiny face don't get the response and help that they need when there are kids and families and people that really do need the assistance."

Now those families and others are getting help from fellow moms and dads out there who have the ability to pack an extra lunch. In some cases, Briggs said, community members without kids in schools have made a lunch.

“I've had parents down in Gunnison, which is a 30 minute drive to Crested Butte—and their kids don't go to Crested Butte—dropping off lunches at my front doorstep. Like, ‘We wanted to bring these up for the Buddy Box program,’” said Briggs. “So, it really is amazing to see how quickly the community has responded to this crisis.”

So far, the booth has been able to give out about 25 to 30 lunches each day, and the hope is to expand. They also have discovered handing out the lunches before school helps destigmatize the need for lunch. 

“I know someone pointed out to me too that the kids, instead of just sitting right down at the cafeteria table with their buddies, they go pick up this emergency meal. Now, they can just sit right down with their buddies,” said Briggs.

The school district also appreciates the work Mountain Roots is doing in these tough times. Kristen Osborn with Gunnison Watershed School District said in a statement to Rocky Mountain PBS: “Our school district, like many districts, has staff shortages in the kitchen. Mountain Roots Food Project has been a wonderful partner, and brings fresh, local fruits and veggies like apples, purple cauliflower and greens to enhance the school lunch programs.”

While kids might turn their noses up at the sound of cauliflower, the Buddy Boxes are also exposing kids to healthier foods. Briggs said she heard about it directly from one of the children.

“I had a student actually come up today [Monday] who has been picking up lunches the past couple of days. And he said, ‘I don't know what was in that pasta salad, but it was really good.’ And he was excited to see what was next in their box,” explained Briggs. 

Mountain Roots doesn’t have an exact timeline of how long this program will last, but they hope to provide the Buddy Boxes and extra snacks for as long as needed. 

“And I think as a rapid response program and something that doesn't need to last forever, it surely has a lot of potential to do exactly what it needs to do,” explained Conn, “which is nourishing healthy kids while the school takes the time they need to figure out a better, hopefully longer-term solution.”

If you’d like to volunteer with the Buddy Box program or want to receive a lunch for your child, you can visit this website link. If you want to donate to Mountain Roots Food Project, you can do so at this website link.

Amanda Horvath is a multimedia producer with Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach her at amandahorvath@rmpbs.org.