School Lunch Heroes Serve Meals on the Front Line

There is a lot of talk about front-line heroes these days. On May 1 for School Lunch Hero Day, we want to acknowledge and applaud Michigan school food service staff for everything they are doing on the front lines to feed our school children. They are our superheroes.

School buildings may be closed for student and public safety, but school kitchens remain open. So much has changed in the past several weeks, but the top priority for school food service staff has not. Each day they still rise early to serve healthy, tasty breakfasts and prep lunches for students all over Michigan. They have had to change serving methods from gatherings in school cafeterias to drive-thru meal pickups or bus route drop-offs, but they haven’t skipped a beat.

The following school district are just two examples of the innovation, creativity and passion driving School Lunch Heroes, who deserve a year of gratitude over a single day celebration. We all have our good days and our not-so good days. A friendly smiling face, ambitious attitude and a safe and nutritious meal is the silver lining in these unprecedented times.

Holt Public Schools

As unemployment claims continue to rise, the need to keep students fed is greater than ever. Evan Robertson, Director of Food Services in Holt, is serving more and more meals as needs continue to grow in this district that spans two counties. Superhero Robertson is looking into adding one or two more service locations to broaden their reach.

Compared to meals served last summer, Robertson is serving 4-5 times more meals every day. His team of superheroes haven’t stopped there – they’ve handed out over 1,800 pounds of pantry bags from the local food bank & other church locations, over 800 pounds of fresh produce to families and served over 8,000 meals to date.

Thank you Holt Public Schools in your continued efforts to be a stable resource in unknown times.

Birmingham Public Schools

From spirit days to embracing the always changing Michigan spring weather, heroic food service workers are making magic happen. Pattie Guck, Chartwells Director of Dining Services, and her “dream team” in Birmingham are taking meal services up a notch with themed days.

As families drive thru to pick up their meals, they’re greeted with passionate smiles and have embraced themes each day creating a fun and enjoyable experience for both students and parents. Since the shutdown started on March 16, Guck hasn’t missed a beat in serving happy, healthy meals to her students. In just 10 days, this “dream team” served up 13,581 meals.

Thank you Pattie & your “dream team” – our heroes spreading “a little bit of pixie dust” and having fun along the way.

Thank you to all our School Lunch Heroes. Many may be unsung and think “it’s part of the job,” but in a time of fear and unknown, our school nutrition staff stand tall and strong! In this fight, thank you for being on the front lines and keeping our growing youth nourished and safe.

Photos courtesy of Birmingham Public Schools Food Service Facebook page.