While there seems to be no shortage of sad news these days, there are also many stories of resilience, creativity and kindness. To showcase the latter, FSD is introducing a new series focused on some of the bright spots during these hard times. Here are five positive things happening at noncommercial operations that we came across this week.
1. Grab-and-go show and tell
The nutrition staff at The Alva School in Alva, Fla., have missed engaging with students since switching over to grab-and-go meals. To keep up their interaction and give students something to look forward to, Cafeteria Manager Janet Taylor has created themed weeks during meal pickup. The first week’s theme was show and tell, and students were encouraged to bring one of their favorite things to show the cafeteria staff.
Read the full story at NBC-2.com.
2. Farm-fresh produce for families
Produce from The University of Georgia’s student-run farm in Athens, Ga., is going to area families facing food insecurity. The garden’s staff of four and a few AmeriCorps VISTA workers are working during the pandemic to provide produce for 53 local families.
Read the full story at albanyherald.com.
3. Lunch sack doodles
To keep the bags used for grab-and-go meals from looking bare, school nutrition staff at Potlatch School District #285 in Potlatch, Idaho, have begun drawing fun pictures and inspirational messages to keep students’ spirits up while remote learning.
Read the full story at dnews.com.
4. Higher ed fights hunger
Two universities where foodservice is managed by Chartwells Higher Ed are making sure their communities stay well-fed during the pandemic. At New York University, the dining team donated more than 1,300 pounds of food to local charities. Donated items included 600 egg and cheese sandwiches, 320 meatloaf dinners and more.
At the University of Memphis, the dining team partnered with the local YMCA to provide meals for students at an area school district. The team of 25 has been producing an average of 8,000 meals per day since the initiative began late last month.
Read more about the initiative at foodservicedirector.com.
5. Socks for students
Students at Wichita Falls Independent School District in Wichita Falls, Texas, received more than just food when they picked up their to-go meals Tuesday. The district partnered with the Children’s Miracle Network to provide a new pair of socks with every meal handed out.
Read the full story at timesrecordnews.com.
Have a silver lining you’d like to share? Let me know at bgingerella@winsightmedia.com.