Operators were not short on creativity this week as they went above and beyond to uplift diners while providing additional resources to families and healthcare workers. Here are five bright spots we noted.
1. Dressing up for pickup
To make meal pickup more exciting for parents and students at Birmingham Public Schools in Birmingham, Mich., Director of Dining Pattie Guck and her staff host a theme day at least once a week, during which they dress up and decorate their four meal sites. Past themes have included Disney World and Superhero Day. Parents and students have told Guck and her team that the themed days are something they look forward to.
2. Growing a garden
Stark County, Ohio’s farm-to-school program is now providing seed packets with meal pickup at 12 schools so that students and their families can grow their own gardens at home. The county’s farm-to-school coordinator worked with community organizations to source more than 26,000 seed packets, which include a variety of flowers and herbs as well as produce such as squash, eggplant and tomatoes. Families can to learn how to properly plant the seeds and help them grow through tutorials posted on the county’s farm-to-school website.
Read the full story at the-review.com.
3. An alpaca visit
Two alpacas from a nearby animal center paid a visit to Boulder Creek Post Acute assisted-living center in Poway, Calif., which has been closed to visitors due to the pandemic. The alpacas, named Kuzco and Kronk, were led to the dining room window, where they helped cheer up residents and staff who could greet them and take pictures with them.
Read the full story at insider.com.
4. Helping families and local farmers
Edwards County Schools in Albion, Ill., has partnered with its local farm bureau to provide a gallon of milk to families picking up school meals each Tuesday until the end of the academic year. Officials say the partnership will help support local dairy farmers and provide families with much-needed milk because many local grocery stores have a limit on how much milk families can buy at once.
Read the full story at navigatorjournal.com.
5. Boxed meals for healthcare workers
The Sodexo-run dining team at North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C., donated more than 250 boxed meals to healthcare workers at a local health center. The team prepped and delivered the meals, which included a grilled chicken sandwich, cookie, chips, macaroni salad and bottled water.
Read the full story at patch.com.
Have a silver lining you’d like to share? Let me know at bgingerella@winsightmedia.com.