Fowlerville Community Schools
Passionate. Steadfast. Innovative. Amy Verhelle-Smith, Food Service Director at Fowlerville Community Schools said her team has been incredibly flexible and committed to nourishing their students and community throughout the pandemic. While many families have opted for their students to learn in-person, the team in Fowlerville continues to serve remote learners with to-go meals every Friday, providing five days of meals to students. Amy has gone above and beyond to serve the families in her community, including delivering meals to a family experiencing transportation challenges. Meanwhile, meals in the lunchroom may look a little different, but staff continue to offer popular items like smoothies and nutritious hot chocolate, made with real milk.
The School Nutrition team at Fowlerville is serving the community as well. In partnership with Gleaners Food Bank, Fowlerville offered USDA’s Farmers to Families Food boxes monthly in the Fall of 2020. Using the school’s automated call system, an alert was sent to community members when boxes were available 1-2 times a month. The team consistently distributed 300 food boxes to anyone in the community, ensuring all had access to quality food. When the Farmers to Families program started, Bridget Brown, Director of Food Secure Livingston for Gleaners said she immediately thought of Fowlerville schools due to their community spirit. Partnerships such as these are critical, during the pandemic and far beyond. If you would like to know where Farmers to Families Food Boxes will be available in your area, find more information at https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food-to-usda/farmers-to-families-food-box.