ATLANTA — A thank you can go a long way, especially when it's in the form of a good meal.
That's exactly what dozens of teachers at McDonough Middle School were treated to Friday, on behalf of one Buckhead restaurant.
Every year, McDonough Middle treats its teachers and paraprofessionals to lunch in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week. But this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, administration officials realized they would be unable to afford the gesture.
Melanie Kellam, 8th grade social studies teacher at McDonough Middle, says that when Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse heard this, they stepped in to help. The Buckhead restaurant donated lunches for teachers -- boxes filled with its signature steak, chicken, potatoes and rolls.
Teachers filmed the pickup Friday morning -- donned safely in masks and gloves. The food was then given out to 50 teachers in a drive thru line setup at the school.
"Our teachers have had to teach students whose family may be in serious financial trouble, by adjusting assignments and providing daily individualized tutorial hours," Kellam says. "Some tea hers even had to deliver assignments to students’ homes, while social distancing of course."
Kellam says this was the boost they needed to finish this challenging year out strong -- and start planning for the next.
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