MARQUETTE — Schools and organizations continue to change operations and events during the COVID-19 crisis.

NICE Community Schools announced that breakfast/lunch combinations will be available for pickup at Christ the King Lutheran Church, located at 440 Stoneville Road in Ishpeming, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. every Monday and Thursday.

Anyone with children under 18 can pick up multiple days’ worth of food for free.

The Literacy Legacy Fund of Michigan’s third annual “Literacy Lives” fundraiser, which was scheduled for April 14, at Barrel + Beam in Marquette Township, has been rescheduled for 5:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 20 at the same location.

The David and Thu Brule YMCA of Marquette County, which has closed its doors to the public during the pandemic, anticipates the need for financial assistance for families to use the YMCA. Current members are encouraged to continue their memberships. People who do not belong to the YMCA are asked to consider joining or donating at www.ymcamqt.org to help support its efforts.

YMCA programs include before-and-after care programs at K.I. Sawyer Elementary School and Gilbert Elementary School in Gwinn, Pedaling for Parkinson’s, LIVESTRONG for cancer survivors and their families, LIVEWISE for residents with Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related conditions, the Youth Fit Club, gymnastics and personal training.

Food partnership announced

The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development have announced a partnership that will enable restaurants to sell food and pantry items, which currently can be sold only by grocery and retail stores.

Michigan’s restaurant industry, which already is trained in food safety and sanitation, needed guidance only on how to label food to conduct retail sales. Through this new partnership, restaurants can receive training on proper labeling so they can sell food and pantry items directly to consumers, which not only offers more options to Michigan consumers, but also keeps the supply chain moving in more directions.

“Michigan’s food and agriculture industry continues to demonstrate why it is considered one of the most diverse, innovative and nimble in the nation,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a news release.

“These partnerships — these solutions — don’t happen by luck or by accident,” MDARD Director Gary McDowel said in a news release. “A state agency like MDARD is able to partner with private industry and an association like MRLA and make change quickly because of the relationships that have been built over decades. When Michigan distilleries say they can change their operations to make much-needed hand sanitizer, MDARD paves the regulatory road and gets out of the way. And when restaurants tell us they have excess food coming in that could be sold directly to consumers, we work with MRLA to help get that done.”

Justin Winslow, MRLA president and CEO, said in a news release that grocery stores are overwhelmed with unprecedented demand.

“Having restaurants sell typical grocery items will help support the extremely taxed grocery stores and provide customers with access to the essential food supplies they need during the Stay Home, Stay Safe Executive Order issued by Gov. Whitmer,” Winslow said.

The MRLA has provided the guidance documents on its website for all industry members seeking to provide support to the grocery stores. For access to the documents, visit www.mrla.org/coronavirus.html.

Christie Bleck can be reached at cbleck@miningjournal.net.