Each day, approximately 100 school lunch managers help Nutritional Development Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (NDS) provide healthy, nourishing meals to nearly 30,000 students. To celebrate their hard work and commitment, NDS will celebrate the 6th Annual School Lunch Hero Day on Friday, May 4th.
School lunch managers are responsible for preparing and serving meals to students. In addition, they ensure proper food handling and safety, complete and submit all necessary paperwork, and more. School Lunch Hero Day provides an opportunity for parents, students, school staff, and communities to thank those who provide healthy meals to students each school day.
Brooke Mullen, Assistant Director of Community Relations for NDS said, “School Lunch Hero Day is a day to celebrate all of our school lunch managers for their dedication and passion for giving children a healthy meal. School lunch managers work tirelessly to make sure the children at our schools receive a nourishing balanced meal every day for lunch. Without their hard work and dedication to our children and schools, we could not do what we do!”
For the 2017-2018 academic year, NDS has partnered with 100 schools to make the National School Lunch Program available to students at a reduced price or no cost. Each school lunch provides a student with one third of their daily requirement for calories and key growth nutrients. Each day, students are offered an entrée (including protein and whole grains), a fruit or fruit juice, vegetable, and low-fat or fat-free milk.
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Editor’s Note: NDS’ School Meals are funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Department of Education For more information on Nutritional Development Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please visit https://nutritionaldevelopmentservices.org.
To learn more about School Lunch Hero Day, please visit https://schoolnutrition.org/SLHD/.