MEDIA RELEASE: School Nutrition Programs to Feed Children Beyond School Year with Summer Food Service Program

AUGUSTA — With the assistance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maine public schools have long offered a nutritious breakfast and lunch meal program to thousands of children in Maine during the school year. During the pandemic, many flexibilities were put into place to ensure children had access to complementary meals while learning remotely from home or attending school in person.

We applaud those who worked tirelessly to provide food to children during a challenging school year. With summer right around the corner, that important service will continue in many areas of Maine. The Summer Food Service Program, a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, operates at hundreds of sites across Maine to ensure children get the nutrition they need.

“Maine’s National School Lunch Programs are an invaluable lifeline to our students for whom schools are a much needed and consistent source for food.” said Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “The Summer Food Service Program helps schools continue to provide this critical resource to Maine students through the summer months, and we are committed to assisting schools and communities as they address the needs of the whole child.”

The Summer Food Service Program may be offered statewide in areas or at sites where more than 50 percent of the children are eligible for free or reduced meal benefits under the National School Lunch Program or where census track data supports the need. This summer, area eligibility waivers have allowed sites to operate in areas that have need due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Eligible sponsoring organizations include schools, nonprofit residential summer camps, government agencies, and tax-exempt organizations including faith-based organizations.

In July 2020, 112 sponsors participated in the program, serving meals at 730 sites throughout the state. Sponsors operate open sites in all 16 counties in Maine; anyone 18 and under may come to eat at no cost. Many sponsors will be utilizing USDA flexibilities which allow meals to be consumed off site to promote physical distancing and are offering innovative delivery and service models to meet the demand safely.

To find nearby Summer Meal sites, please visit USDA’s Summer Meal Site Finder website at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/meals4kids, text “Summer Meals” to 97779 or call Maine 211.

Updated information will be available late-June.

For more information about the Maine DOE’s Summer Food Service Program, contact adriane.ackroyd@maine.gov, call 592-1722 or visit https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/programs/sfsp.

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In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

The Maine Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, religion, ancestry or national origin.

Complaints of discrimination must be filed at the office of the Maine Human Rights Commission, 51 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0051. If you wish to file a discrimination complaint electronically, visit the Human Rights Commission website at https://www.maine.gov/mhrc/file/instructions and complete an intake questionnaire. Maine is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Toolkit of Resources for Increasing Meal Participation

As part of effort to increase school meal participation and access to healthy foods, the Maine DOE Child Nutrition team has created a toolkit of resources for Food Service Directors. This toolkit contains information and tips on how to increase meal participation, as well as social media graphics and templates.

All materials are located under “Training” on the Child Nutrition webpage: https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/training

All Food Service Directors from districts across the state are encouraged to utilize these materials to continue to spread a positive message about school nutrition programs to reach more Maine students. Templates and graphics in this toolkit can be used and customized for social media updates (and other avenues of communicating with families).** As school meals continue to be free to all students into the next school year, we want to ensure that as many children as possible are accessing the nutrition needed to fuel their learning!

**Please note: if distributing materials containing information on accessing benefits and services, a full non-discrimination statement must be included.

For questions, please contact Caroline Bennett: Ending Hunger in Maine AmeriCorps VISTA (caroline.bennett@maine.gov)

MEDIA ADVISORY: School Nutrition Teams to Compete in 2021 Farm to School Cook-off Finals Competition

The Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition Team is hosting the 6th annual Farm to School finals competition in which a panel of judges including a chef, school nutrition director, and farmer will score dishes made by school nutrition teams based on presentation, taste, creativity, and feasibility to be used in a school breakfast or lunch program. Other criteria will include food safety and time management. In the competition, local “challenge” ingredients will be incorporated into the meals, including eggs donated from Weston’s Meat and Poultry in Gardiner, and parsnips donated from Goranson Farm in Dresden.

Who: RSU 12 (which includes the town of Whitefield) and South Portland

When: May 5, 2021 at 1:00pm

Where:
Child Nutrition Culinary Classroom
90 Blossom Lane, Deering Building, 1st Floor, Augusta, ME 04333

Detailed Agenda: 2021 Culinary Classroom final cook-off agenda

Members of the media are welcome to attend the final cook-off in-person but need to confirm prior to the day of the event. For more information and to confirm coverage, contact: Kelli Deveaux at kelli.deveaux@maine.gov.

The event will also be live streamed and recorded on the Maine DOE’s YouTube Channel. View the Cook-off here on May 5th at 1pm.

Background Information: Maine DOE kicked off their 6th annual Farm to School Cook-off this spring; however, it took on a different form. Cook-off teams representing four school districts from Maine participated in a virtual cook-off event where voting took place and determined the top two teams who advance to the finals round. The teams, consisting of a student and school nutrition professional, created tasty and nutritious breakfast and lunch meals that showcased Maine grown ingredients and followed recipe guidelines of the competition. This criteria included producing meals that meet the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) meal pattern and include at least three local ingredients and one USDA food.

The team that wins the over-all competition will be awarded a plaque and have the opportunity to be spokespeople and participate on the judging panel for the cook off in School Year 2022. Recipes used in the cook-off will later be shared with all schools in a Maine farm to school cook-book.

RSU 12- Whitefield Wildcats Vicki Dill & Kiara Luce

South Portland- Kaler Kooks Lisa Riley & Sam Messana

PRIORITY NOTICE: School Year 2022 Nationwide Waivers Available for Schools and Day Care Facilities to Support Safe Reopening and Nutritious Meals

Maine Department of Education (DOE) is thrilled to share that USDA has released twelve additional Nationwide Waivers for SY 2022. These are meant to support the safe reopening of facilities while providing nutritious meals for children and adolescents. The new waivers can be accessed here.

Maine DOE’s Child Nutrition team is reading through the waivers carefully in order to provide the best support to the field. As some of these are different from those issued in the past. We support the action of USDA to release waivers to support the safe provision of nutritious meals for Maine students. These waivers will allow students all over the state to access meals and will provide much needed flexibilities during the current public health emergency.

More information will be provided by Child Nutrition Director Walter Beesley on Wednesday, April 28th at 1:00. Those interested can register for the webinar

For questions regarding these USDA nationwide waivers, contact Walter Beesley, Child Nutrition Director, at 207-624-6875 walter.beesley@maine.gov.

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 Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits.  Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.  Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

 To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

 (1)     mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
          Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
          1400 Independence Avenue, SW
          Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
 (2)      fax: (202) 690-7442; or  
 (3)      email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
The Maine Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, religion, ancestry or national origin.
Complaints of discrimination must be filed at the office of the Maine Human Rights Commission, 51 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0051. If you wish to file a discrimination complaint electronically, visit the Human Rights Commission website at https://www.maine.gov/mhrc/file/instructions and complete an intake questionnaire. Maine is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Troy Howard Middle School Expands Food Pantry with Community Caring Cart

Like many school districts across Maine, RSU 71 provides a school food pantry program to ensure there are free food options for families to take home with them as an added service to those in need.

“The District has been feeding families in need since, well, forever,” said Carrie Robinson, Front Desk Secretary at Troy Howard Middle School (THMS) in Belfast.

While there is no data point in Maine that details just how many schools offer this type of service, it is abundantly clear that there are a wide range of efforts on all levels throughout Maine and often times they can be found at the local school.

“When our school buildings were closed last spring at the onset of the pandemic, our school nurses partnered with food services and transportation to send home weekly boxed meals and produce,” said Shannon Robbins, School Nurse at A Ames – Gladys Weymouth Elementary Schools in RSU 71. “In fact, we sent home over 22,000 pounds! Families shared with us how much it meant to have these necessities delivered to their homes when it felt too scary to shop in town.”

It’s worth noting that school food pantries and backpack programs are a volunteer effort at most schools and go above and beyond the complimentary school meals that students receive while learning at school and remotely. With the help of several USDA waivers during the pandemic, school nutrition programs have been allowed to be flexible and adaptive in the way school meals are served and most have been able to offer these services at no charge to families.

Suffice it to say, pantry and backpack programs are becoming an important addition to many school communities across Maine and at Troy Howard Middle School they have recently undergone an expansion to reach more families.

Although the district’s nurses, administrators, and guidance staff usually have a good idea of who needs help, they have found that it is still difficult to know if they’ve provided the service equitably.

“We really just never know who is in need,” explained Robyn Mailloux, THMS Nurse.

That is when they came up with the idea to offer the Community Caring Cart as a service to anyone who wants or needs something – they can just come pick it up. Instead of handing a backpack full of food and supplies to a specific student or families, now the cart is available in public areas at school that are easy for parents and students to just take what they need.

“Over the course of the year, I’ve been surprised at what has disappeared from the hallway shelf and who has been taking it,” said Mailloux. “You just don’t know what people’s stories are.”

In addition, there are bags available for people to donate items if they wish and the team is also working on some grab and go bags that are quick and easy to take.

“Anything taco related flies off the shelves, as does of course easy to make staples, mac and cheese and canned soups and fruits,” said Robinson. “Since we are at a middle school level many of our students have some basic cooking skills so they will grab things they can make for themselves. Any time we have fresh produce it goes well, the kids actually like fresh stuff!!!!”

“Lightweight, prepacked goods such as cereal, pasta or rice mixes, soups are very popular. We have also offered fresh produce from Maine farmers including potatoes, apples, carrots- families loved these,” adds Robbins.”

Knowing that food programs are a service provided in many community and schools throughout Maine, we asked the RSU 71 team if they have any advice for schools that are thinking about starting or expanding food pantry programs at their schools.

“I would remind any schools that are trying to do anything like this that you never really know who needs the help so get the word out every way you can,” offers Robinson.

“Partner with your community resources – we couldn’t do this without GBAM (Greater Belfast Area Ministerium Food Cupboard), GSFB (Good Shepard Food Bank), and our area boosters, such as Bell the Cat (a local restaurant) and individual donors,” said Robbins adding that when RSU 71 School Food Pantry began in 2019, they received a generous grant from the Sadie and Harry Davis Foundation that has enabled them to expand their support during the pandemic.

The Maine Department of Education would like to take a moment to thank the dedicated team at RSU 71 as well as the countless school staff members, volunteers, and community partners across Maine working tirelessly to provide services to the families in their communities through food programs and other similar efforts, especially throughout the past year. Your dedication and selflessness does not go unnoticed by the Department or the grateful people that benefit from your work.

Information for this article was provided by RSU 71 as part of the Maine DOE Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. The Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign is an avenue for Maine schools to celebrate successes and share innovative ideas, practices, and models that can be adapted and easily implemented by other Maine schools. Stories are not an endorsement of specific materials, services, or practices and are not intended to promote learning programs that are of cost to students, families, or schools. To submit a story or an idea, email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine School Teams Advance in 2021 Farm to School Cook-off

Votes were cast and here are the results! Congratulations to South Portland (Kaler Kooks) and RSU 12 (Whitefield Wildcats) who will be advancing to the finals round of the 2021 Maine Farm to School Cook-off. The finals competition will be held on May 5th at the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Child Nutrition Culinary Classroom in Augusta.

The Maine Farm to School Cook-off is a statewide culinary competition for teams of school nutrition professionals and students to promote local foods in school meals. The 6^th annual competition is organized by the Maine DOE’s Child Nutrition Team.

A big thank you to the four teams below who participated in the virtual event. For more information and to view each team’s videos please visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/programs/localfoods/cookoffvoting.

RSU 14- School Gardens Rock! Ryan Roderick & Max Mowatt

RSU 54- Team Son-Day Gina Bailey & Caleb Pratt (mother and son duo)

Informational Materials For Classroom Teachers to Promote School Meal Programs

The Maine DOE Child Nutrition team has been working on creating resource materials to advocate for and promote participation in school meal programs. The project is aimed to support the DOE’s goal to combat childhood food insecurity by ensuing all Maine children have access to healthy school meals. The child nutrition team has released a new resource to be used by classroom teachers as a tool to support these goals as well.

The resource contains information on the benefits of school meal programs and specific ways teachers can promote these programs. It includes comprehensive information, tips, and nutrition talking points that teachers can incorporate in their classrooms. We hope this can serve as a tool to spread a positive message about nutrition programs, and end the lunchtime stigma many students face.

Here is the link to this resource: https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/Teacher%20Meal%20Participation%20Promotion.pdf

The link can be downloaded and printed, or distributed to teachers digitally.

This link can be distributed to classroom teachers to spread a positive message about our child nutrition programs and increase student participation! School meals are a vital learning tool for our students’ success, and we are looking forward to further spreading this message across our state’s classrooms and cafeterias! Additional meal participation promotional materials is forthcoming and will be made available on the Child Nutrition website.

Any questions can be directed to Caroline.bennett@maine.gov (AmeriCorps VISTA––Ending Hunger in Maine)

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine DOE Child Nutrition Kicks off Virtual Farm to School Cook-off

The Maine Department of Education is following in the footsteps of many schools and going with a hybrid model for this year’s 2021 Farm to School Cook Off.

Celebrating its 6th annual competition, the Maine Farm to School Cook-off is a statewide culinary competition for teams of school nutrition professionals and students to promote local foods in school meals. The 6th annual competition is organized by the Maine Department of Education, Child Nutrition team.

On March 22nd the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Child Nutrition team is kicking off the virtual competition. Four teams are participating in the competition this year including, RSU 12, RSU 14, RSU 54 and South Portland. Voting will take place starting today, March 22nd through April 2nd for school staff, family and friends to vote for their favorite cook-off team!

Each team was tasked to create a breakfast and lunch video, while following recipe guidelines of the competition. This criteria includes producing meals that meet the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) meal pattern and include at least three local ingredients and one USDA food. Within the videos, teams were asked to provide details on local ingredients, USDA foods that were used, techniques used, feasibility, and anything else the team would like to share.

This virtual cook-off is the first step on each team’s journey to becoming the “2021 Farm to School Cook-off Champion”. The top two finalists from the virtual competition will advance to the Farm to School Cook-off Finals Competition on May 5, 2021 in the Child Nutrition Culinary Classroom in Augusta, ME! Please note all necessary precautions will be taken, including face coverings and social distancing of teams in the culinary classroom.

To vote for your favorite cook-off team please visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/programs/localfoods/cookoffvoting

Finalists will be announced on April 5, 2021.
For more information on Maine’s Farm and Sea to School program, visit https://www.maine.gov/doe/farmtoschool

MEDIA RELEASE: USDA Extends Flexibilities to Provide FREE Meals to Children Through Summer Months

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released a continuation of needed flexibilities for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) through Summer 2021.

“We are so grateful for the USDA waiver extensions through this incredibly difficult time,” said Walter Beesley, Maine Department of Education’s Director of Child Nutrition. “The newest extension will allow Maine schools to continue to provide complimentary emergency meals in creative ways at school, remotely, and on weekends to children of all ages through the summer months.”

In the USDA announcement, they express the following:

As we complete a full year of Child Nutrition Program operations during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we want to acknowledge the creativity, dedication, and tireless efforts of program operators and administrators at all levels to ensure access to healthy meals during what has been, for many of us, one of the most challenging years of our lifetimes. Over the past year, the Child Nutrition Program community has overcome a myriad of obstacles and has continued to provide daily meals for millions of our nation’s children and vulnerable adults. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) extends a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has dedicated time and energy in service to their communities through the Child Nutrition Programs over this past year.

In response to the needs of program operators and State administrators, FNS has released a series of waivers to maximize flexibility and limit exposure to COVID-19, while maintaining accountability. The waivers are currently scheduled to expire on June 30, 2021, the statutory end of the school year. These flexibilities will remain necessary to operate our programs this summer given the ongoing public health and economic crisis. Understanding that program operators are now planning how to best deploy child nutrition programs during the upcoming summer months, FNS is issuing the following updated waivers specifically for summer meal program operations in 2021. Please note that the current waivers are in effect through June 30, 2021 and that the waivers listed below are effective beginning July 1, 2021:

#74 Nationwide Waiver to Allow Meal Pattern Flexibilities for Summer 2021 Operations
#75 Nationwide Waiver to Allow Non-Congregate Feeding for Summer 2021 Operations
#76 Nationwide Waiver to Allow Parents and Guardians to Pick Up Meals for Children for Summer 2021 Operations
#77 Nationwide Waiver to Extend Area Eligibility Waivers for Summer 2021 Operations
#78 Nationwide Waiver of Meal Service Time Restrictions for Summer 2021 Operations
#79 Nationwide Waiver to Allow Offer Versus Serve Flexibilities in the Summer Food Service Program for Summer 2021 Operations
#80 Nationwide Waiver to Allow Area Eligibility for Closed Enrolled Sites for Summer 2021 Operations
#81 Nationwide Waiver to Waive First Week Site Visits in the Summer Food Service Program for Summer 2021 Operations

“Statewide we have seen a down-tick in families accepting the meals that are available at no cost to them. This has prompted schools to adapt their menus, delivery options, and advertising methods to encourage families to take advantage of this valuable service, especially during these tough times,” added Beesley. “We are hopeful that now that we know the flexibilities and funding will continue through the summer, more families will take advantage of the really great, complimentary food options from school.”

Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition staff stand ready to support Maine Child Nutrition Providers in their continued efforts to supply safe, nutritious meals to Maine’s children and adolescents through Summer 2021.

Maine DOE staff are available to answer questions and provide important training and technical assistance to the field. For questions and information please contact Adriane Ackroyd at Adriane.ackroyd@maine.gov / 207-592-1722.

Tips and Information for Districts Offering Complimentary Meals

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the way schools and districts have been offering meals to children across the state has changed dramatically. Food service staff have worked tirelessly to adapt and come up with many creative methods for meal service by schools.

The complimentary meals, free of charge to all families, are being offered as part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) emergency meal program – a response to the pandemic. The emergency meal program ensures compliance with the required law of offering meals on educational days. It is not part of the federal School Lunch Program, but a special program which offers meals to all children during this time of challenge.

Given the underutilization of this program by students and families across Maine, the Department is offering some tips that school/district nutrition teams can use to help increase participation by maximizing nutrition and appeal to students, adding flexibly for families, and by increasing promotion and communication:

Children’s preferences and favorites should be considered when planning menus.
Meals offered should be nutritious and appealing.
Flexible delivery methods are needed to accommodate working parents.
Volunteers from the community can be sourced to supplement food service staff.
Advertise as “complementary meals” or “emergency meals” (not as “School Lunch”).
Maximize communication by using your district’s social media and online platforms. Include photos of menus and featured ingredients.
Include delivery site information and picture of location (or a picture of the delivery vehicle).
Always reiterate that the meals are free for everyone!

If you need more information, support, and/or training, contact Maine DOE Child Nutrition Office at 207-624-6842.