By Andy Klotz—
District to honor frontline workers who helped make sure students didn’t go hungry during COVID-19
Muncie, Ind. — Today, Muncie Community Schools and its food service partner, Chartwells K12, will celebrate National School Lunch Hero Day to recognize the district’s team of essential cooks, chefs, dietitians and food service workers who have served more than 1.1 million meals since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the past 14 months, rain or shine, Muncie lunch heroes rolled up their sleeves, put on their masks and got to work serving meals to students through emergency feeding programs, bus deliveries and special pick-up sites in addition to the work done in MCS cafeterias every day.
“Since the day schools shut down, our goal has been to help ensure families never had to worry about where their child’s next meal was going to come from,” Chartwells K12 District Food Director Stephanie Fegan said. “So many families in Muncie depend on school lunch and our team has gone above and beyond to provide nutritious meals and brighten kids’ days. I’m thankful to work alongside these school lunch heroes who continue to amaze me.”
Along with weekday meal distributions throughout the pandemic, Muncie’s foodservice team continued to pack, distribute and deliver meals, which included kids’ favorites such as Uncrustables, Mini Pancakes & Waffles, corndogs and many more. In addition to the breakfast, lunch and supper entrees, students get a variety of fruits, vegetables and milk.
Each school will celebrate in its own way with appreciative cards, posters, announcements, social media posts and rounds of applause.
“It’s quite appropriate to honor these hard-working people for all they’ve been doing,” MCS Director of Public Education and CEO Lee Ann Kwiatkowski said. “Our food service is vital to many of our MCS families and Chartwells has been very accommodating to the changing needs of families throughout the pandemic.”
School Lunch Hero Day is a national program dedicated to providing recognition to school food service professionals for their role in keeping children well-fed, happy and healthy. This year marks the ninth anniversary of the celebration.
For more information on Muncie Community’s meal program initiatives, please contact Stephanie Fegan at stephanie.bond@compass-usa.com or 765-747-5229.
About Muncie Community Schools
Serving the local community since 1855, Muncie Community Schools (MCS) educates more than 5,000 students at six elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school while also managing several other educational facilities. Through its unique partnership with Ball State University, MCS strives to maximize each student’s potential so he or she can be a positive, productive member of society. Find out more about MCS or Director of Public Education and CEO Lee Ann Kwiatkowski at muncieschools.org.
About Chartwells K12
Chartwells K12’s goal is to make sure students leave the cafeteria happier and healthier than they came in, by serving food kids love to eat and creating custom dining programs. With more than 16,000 associates in 4,100 schools, ranging from large public institutions to small charter and private schools, Chartwells K12 is built on decades of food, education and operational experience driven by top culinary, nutrition, wellness, and sustainability talent. For more information, visitwww.ChartwellsK12.com.
