Food & Health Inspiration
system. Ask high school art students to draw chalk pictures, make posters or banners with fun sayings or jokes. Ask the high school band to come and practice at the meal site. Social Media And most importantly, use social media! This powerful tool is a low-cost resource that distributes your message far and wide. Post your “special”days on social media, create a media buzz by creating a scavenger hunt, add a “golden ticket” to a bag and announce the winner on social media or announce the contest LIVE! Regardless of what you decide to post on social media, just make sure you are consistent and keep it FUN! Maybe post tongue twisters, riddles or jokes. Make your account unique and engaging. Remember to use FREE resources such as the CANVA app to get the word out. Get the Message Out The USDA has extended the waiver for FREE school meals to children through September 30, 2021! This means that the waiver that originally provided free
meals to ALL students through June 30, 2021 has been extended through September 30, 2021. Millions of school meals have supported families since the pandemic began in March 2020. Families now use the USDA School Meal Programs consistently. They look to school meals beyond the 180-day school year; it’s becoming commonplace for ALL school children to utilize this program. As nutrition advocates, we will pay close attention to the conversations and policy discussions in Washington, D.C. about rolling this into Universal Free Meals. Consider your impact. You are doing an amazing, rewarding job. Embrace the adventure and use this time to teach the community about school meals. Educate, inform and promote. Advocate for support and participation in school meals. Use your voice and channel your passion. It’s the opportune time to use this formula: Passion + Hard Work = Success.
Commodity Talk
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This career brings out the true passion we all share; feeding kids, doing our part.
Della M. Collins, SNS is a Regional Account Manager for International Food Solutions that resides in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area. Her passion for Culinary Arts and School Nutrition allow her to bring innovative solutions to the K-12 segment. Working eleven years with a large school system in Maryland allowed her to gain knowledge, vision and harness ability to create culinary training programs as well as write menus for all facets of child nutrition. Della prides herself on being organized; forward thinking while considering how food and products will be received by students who participate in the meal programs. She looks to modern food trends for intuitive menu placement and considerations. Additionally, she stays relevant with packaging and environmental trends; which work symbiotically with the K-12 population. She currently is on the Board of Directors for the Restaurant Association of Maryland Education Foundation and works alongside the ProStart Culinary Program as a mentor, judge, curriculum advisor and educational facilitator.
Della M. Collins SNS
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