Steph & Ayesha Curry supply 1 million meals to kids who can't attend school due to shutdowns

Amidst the coronavirus epidemic in the United States, state governments are shutting down public spaces - that includes schools and colleges. While these directives are issued in the best interest of public health and safety, school districts across the country have been scrambling to ensure that their students, who without school lunches would go hungry, have access to hot meals every day. Some districts have opted for "grab and go" facilities whereas others have chosen to partner with community soup kitchens and churches. In order to help make the process smoother and ensure no child goes hungry, it is basketball legend Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha Curry who have stepped in to save the day. The couple will help provide one million meals to students who cannot attend school due to state-wide shutdowns, CNN reports.

The couple has partnered with a foodbank based in Oakland, California (Steph's hometown), to reach as many young children as possible. They announced their social initiative in a video posted to Twitter over the weekend. The Golden State Warriors point guard stated in the video, "We know the world is changing before our eyes in terms of dealing with the spread of coronavirus and we just found out that the Oakland Unified School District is closing the doors for the foreseeable future, so we want to intercede on behalf of the kids that rely on the daily services and try to help any way we can." Therefore, Steph and Ayesha will be collaborating with the Oakland Unified School District and the Alameda County Community Food Bank through their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation.

According to reports, the National School Lunch Program supplies low-cost or free lunches to 29.7 million children on any given day. However, the shutdowns caused by the coronavirus epidemic will set off a dip in this number. Unfortunately, it is children in low-income families that will suffer most. At present, the Oakland Unified School District has temporarily closed schools until April 5. Twelve of the schools in this district have chosen to provide meals through a "grab and go" system. Nonetheless, this is only for a certain number of days over the next few weeks as the shutdown continues. While celebrities and other philanthropists should ideally not have to step in in order to resolve a federal food crisis, the Curry family is doing their bit when their state needs them.

"The statistics are really staggering," Ayesha affirmed in the video uploaded to Twitter. "At least 18,000 kids rely on at least two meals a day from the school system, so we want to make sure that we rally around everyone and ensure that these kids are not wondering where their next meal is coming from." Thanks to Steph and Ayesha, at least some children and their families will not have to worry about their next meal. Helping the couple pull off this philanthropic initiative are organizations such as Feeding America, Save the Children, and Blessings in a Backpack. These not-for-profit groups, too, will ensure America's children have easy access to the nutrition they need.

In addition to providing one million meals to students who need them, Steph and the rest of the Golden State Warriors have pledged a whopping $1 million donation to a disaster relief fund for Chase Center employees who will not be allowed to work due to the shutdowns. The NBA season's suspension is expected to have a "sizeable impact" on the wages of several dozens of hourly-paid employees at basketball arenas across the United States. Thus, this pledge will ensure they do not have to worry about pay during the quarantine period. While the NBA season may be off, the Curry family and the Golden State Warriors are just starting to get to work.