Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week is May 4-8, 2009
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (April 28, 2009) Teaching nutrition lessons, preparing healthy school meals and offering a friendly greeting are all in a day’s work for more than 250,000 child nutrition employees in the nation’s 99,000 school cafeterias and kitchens. The non-profit School Nutrition Association celebrates this professional commitment with Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week, May 4 – 8, 2009. The week is an opportunity for parents, students, school staff and communities to thank those who provide healthy school meals to more than 30 million children each school day.
School nutrition employees must balance many roles and follow numerous federal, state and local regulations to ensure safe and healthy meals are available in schools. They are trained sanitation and food safety experts and must manage financially self-sufficient programs. School nutrition professionals also provide nutrition education to students, as well as healthy catering services to their communities. They use their creativity to make the cafeteria a fun and welcoming place all year long and perform their jobs each day because they care passionately about the children they serve.
The importance and nutritional value of school meals are well documented. For many children, school lunch is the most important and nutrient-rich meal of their day. Children depend upon school lunch for 1/3 to 1/2 of their daily nutritional intake. The U.S. Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, found that “school meals are healthy and children who eat school meals consume more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy items than children who do not eat school meals.”
In a 2008 Back to School Trend study, school nutrition professionals provided specific examples of common improvements made to school meals this school year. Among the most popular responses were:
The School Nutrition Association is a national, non-profit professional organization representing more than 55,000 members who provide high-quality, low-cost meals to students across the country. The Association and its members are dedicated to feeding children safe and nutritious meals. SNA is the only association devoted exclusively to protecting and enhancing children’s health and well being through school meals and sound nutrition education.
Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Contact: Erik Peterson 703-739-3900, ext. 124epeterson@schoolnutrition.org
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (April 6, 2009) – Empty your pockets and flip the seat cushions – your loose change is needed! April is Global Child Nutrition Month and to celebrate, the School Nutrition Association (SNA), in conjunction with the Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF) is collecting funds to Change the World. SNA and GCNF encourage school nutrition professionals to take a day, a week, or the whole month to partner with students and teachers in raising funds to fight global hunger.
Nearly 300 million of the world’s children are caught in the debilitating cycle of poverty and hunger. According to the World Food Programme, 170 million of these children attend school, but most do not receive meals there. Because a hungry child cannot learn, GCNF works to help nations build and sustain school feeding programs to nurture and educate children.
During Global Child Nutrition Month, school nutrition professionals are encouraged to participate in a grassroots effort to collect coins in schools across the country. Through the Change Our World campaign, the funds raised will be used to support GCNF and other local and international hunger organizations. Hundreds of school districts nationwide are participating this month. Some examples include:
In its second year, Change Our World is an annual fundraising campaign held during Global Child Nutrition Month. The purpose of the campaign is to raise awareness about global hunger. Last year, Change Our World raised $110,000 for GCNF. Originally created by Schwan’s Food Service, Inc. and GCNF, this year’s campaign includes several new industry partners, including Horizon Software, J&J Snack Food, and Nutrikids. For additional information regarding the campaign, please visit www.changeourworldonline.org.
The Global Child Nutrition Foundation (www.gcnf.org) is a nonprofit corporation whose mission and vision are to help the nations of the world nurture young bodies and advance young minds through the time-tested practice of school-based nutrition. The School Nutrition Association (www.schoolnutrition.org) is a national, non-profit professional organization representing more than 55,000 members who provide high-quality, low-cost meals to students across the country.
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