Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Three Wisconsin Summer Food Service Program sponsors recently received national recognition for offering high-quality, nutritious meals to children during the summer months.
The Stevens Point Area Public School District, Green Bay Area Public Schools, and the UW Health Summer Food Service Program were honored with the Turnip the Beet Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Services.
Read several excerpts from each sponsor’s application for the award below:
“With our diverse population and range of age groups, we want to provide our community children adequate child friendly food preferences they will enjoy and be excited about. We offer fun menu options and alternative meal options to give our children choices. For our younger children, we help service them by cupping up fruits and vegetables for ease, asking the children what choices they would like, and traying up their meal choices.”
— Stevens Point Area Public School District
“GBAPS Food Service expanded the community partners this summer, to include multiple YMCA sites, Boys & Girls Clubs, Art Garage, Neville Public Museum, Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Academy, Children’s Museum, Brown County Libraries, Freedom House, Kroc Center, and Green Bay Parks, Recreation, and Forestry. These new and continued partnerships enable the Food Service department to reach kids in the community to provide “meals that are in when school’s out”. Staff at these community partner sites have promoted the summer meals program through daily announcements, websites, marketing flyers and communications to families. In addition, this summer, the GBAPS Food Service department deployed two new concession trailers to serve meals in the community at new community partner sites. These trailers, equipped with generators and mechanical refrigeration to uphold food safety standards, were helpful in reaching more kids in a vibrant and modern way.”
— Green Bay Area Public Schools
“Our meal pattern acknowledges, honors and values diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and cultural differences by offering meals that consider variations in dietary lifestyles. For example, we serve a variety of whole grain and dairy options that may be familiar to certain cultures, including whole wheat crackers, bread and pita or fresh mozzarella, cheddar, or fontina cheeses. All meals are designed by a team of pediatric food and nutrition specialists, including a registered dietitian nutritionist, sous chef, executive chef and refined by the culinary staff who support the meal distribution.”
— UW Health Summer Food Service Program
Learn more about the Summer Food Service Program by visiting the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s website here.