WASHINGTON, May 21, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- In partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and D.C. Central Kitchen, the American School Food Service Association (ASFSA) has selected three schools to participate in the Community Kitchen pilot program. The three schools will develop "community kitchens" to assist food stamp recipients/applicants and low-income families in obtaining skills they need to be employable as school foodservice workers.
The three schools selected -- Lawrence (MA) Public Schools; Miami-Dade County (FL) Public Schools; and Southwest Wisconsin Technical College -- advanced through a competitive process to develop pilot programs for the "School Cafeterias as Community Kitchens Project." ASFSA and USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) are working with D.C. Central Kitchen to make use of existing school facilities and personnel.
The three pilot schools will develop welfare-to-work training programs that will:
-- Increase opportunities for training and job placement for
low-income parents and adults;
-- Address the shortage of trained foodservice workers for school
nutrition programs;
-- Promote awareness among students, parents and teachers of
nutrition education, hunger within the community and community
service opportunities;
-- Assist in providing nutritious snacks and meals to after-school
programs; and
-- Expand the level of food recovery by encouraging partnerships
with social service groups.
The schools chosen for this project represent communities of various sizes in rural, suburban and urban settings. The three pilot projects are forging strong partnerships with community organizations in their localities and have demonstrated the ability to serve food to the larger community. The schools involved serve diverse populations and will use their projects to emphasize both hands-on training and the importance of nutritious foods.
Pilot schools will plan their projects this spring and summer and will begin implementing the training sessions in the summer and fall of 2001. ASFSA, FNS, and D.C. Central Kitchen will work with the pilot schools to develop a "how to" manual and promotional video to help replicate the school community kitchen concept in school districts nationwide.
This project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from USDA/FNS, under Cooperative Agreement No. 58-3198-00-007.
This press release does not necessarily reflect the view or policies of USDA, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
ASFSA, online at http://www.asfsa.org, is a national, non-profit professional organization representing more than 58,000 members who provide high-quality, low-cost meals to students across the country. Founded in 1946, ASFSA is the only association devoted exclusively to protecting and enhancing children's health and well-being through school meals and sound nutrition education.
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CONTACT: American School Food Service Association
(703) 739-3900
Joe Haas, ext. 122
Erik Peterson, ext. 124
http://www.asfsa.org