Honoring School Nutrition Staff during National School Breakfast Week

Honoring School Nutrition Staff during National School Breakfast Week

This is a guest blog post written by Jazon Ezell, Nebraska SNAC Intern.

“None of us really knew what to expect from the coronavirus. We just tried to put in the best procedures we could to hand out meals but it was scary to be the ones out there. We know we\’re reaching kids that if we didn\’t offer our program, they would not have a meal from when they ate at lunch until breakfast the next day at school.” – Jodi Erickson, Director of Nutrition Services at Crete Public Schools

Nearly two years have passed since the COVID pandemic hit. In 2020, school nutrition staff stepped up to serve thousands of remote meals to children whose schools had shut down. In 2021, they braved the unknown as they returned to school with new protocols and safety measures. This year, they are continuing to step up as they deal with global supply chain challenges, food shortages, and staffing issues, all while serving thousands and thousands of Nebraska kids who rely on school meals.

The Nebraska Student Nutrition Action Committee (SNAC), a coalition led by Nebraska Appleseed, is honoring the amazing work of school nutrition staff and leadership by collecting notes of thanks and appreciation for local nutrition heroes making a difference in their communities now through March 18. Parents, students, teachers, administrators, and community members are invited to submit comments!

Use this webpage to honor a specific person or staff in your school/district as a School Nutrition Hero by March 18.

Find last year’s amazing Nebraska School Nutrition Hero honorees on this webpage.

In April and May, we will publicize the submitted comments and our heroes in the lead-up to School Lunch Hero Day 2022 on May 6. Keep an eye out for stories through this webpage and NDE Nutrition Service’s Facebook page.

Don’t forget: after you make a comment, share this page with your network to spread the word! Let’s make sure our Nebraska school nutrition staff get the recognition they’ve earned with as many comments as possible!!