In an inspiring initiative, a school district in Indiana is collaborating with a local food rescue organization to ensure that leftover cafeteria food doesn’t go to waste and instead provides nourishment to children facing food insecurity over the weekends. Elkhart Community Schools has partnered with the nonprofit Cultivate to launch a pilot program that delivers frozen meals to students at Woodland Elementary.
As reported by WSBT News, the program sends home backpacks filled with eight frozen meals each Friday, made from surplus food that was prepared but not served during school lunches. The ultimate aim is to expand this initiative to other schools within the district. While children can access breakfast and lunch during the week, many may lack adequate food options at home during the weekend, and this program seeks to bridge that gap.
Jim Conklin from Cultivate highlights that their organization sources food from various places, including catering services and large food businesses, such as school systems. “You don’t always think of a school,” he remarked about the food rescue effort. The rescued food is then transformed into convenient frozen meals for kids to take home. “Over-preparing is just part of what happens,” Conklin noted, explaining the process of combining well-prepared food to create individual servings.
Currently, 20 elementary students benefit from this pilot program, receiving their meals every Friday until the school year concludes. Natalie Johnson, working in student services for the district, mentioned that the decision to start this program was straightforward. “At Elkhart Community Schools, we were wasting a lot of food,” she explained. “There wasn’t anything to do with the food. So they came to the school three times a week and rescued the food.”
The initiative was spearheaded by the Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Academy, with member Laura Smith expressing pride in the program’s impact. “It’s making a significant difference,” Smith said, adding that it was disheartening to learn that children went home on weekends without enough to eat.
Schools are increasingly finding innovative ways to combat food insecurity among students. Some have already implemented “share tables” where uneaten food can be left for others. While we hope for a future where every child is adequately fed, it is heartening to see schools and organizations stepping up to tackle these challenges. We can only hope this pilot program expands throughout the district and inspires similar initiatives elsewhere. If you’re interested in supporting Cultivate’s mission, consider donating here.
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In summary, Elkhart Community Schools, alongside Cultivate, is making strides to ensure that students in need receive nutritious meals over the weekends by creatively repurposing leftover food.