PASQUOTANK COUNTY, N.C. - It was shades of Adam Sandler's famous song "Lunch Lady Land," inside Pasquotank County High School on Saturday as around 160 area school nutrition workers gathered for the School Nutrition Association's District 1 meeting.
Described as the largest such meeting outside a statewide gathering in June, employees representing 13 northeastern North Carolina school districts packed the PCHS cafeteria to hear updates from the USDA, and food brokers distributors, while also learning about grants, legislation and regulations and supply chain issues.
“If we can get the food, many of our prices…it's just inflation," lamented Tammy Rinehart, Director of School Nutrition for Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools (ECPPS). "There’s nothing that’s not increased at least 25 to 30 percent. Many of our items are 120 percent increased.”
But despite those challenges, Rinehart says she and her colleagues are determined to keep these meetings fun, as evidenced by the "apron parade" that broke out between discussions.
“This is when we uplift," she said of the meeting, which had the theme "Stir Up Your Gifts."
After all, serving kids requires a certain mindset, especially for those facing a challenging home life. In Pasquotank County, enough students are considered low-income that Rinehart says the district is part of the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, allowing all students to receive a free breakfast and lunch.
"They may come back and say, ‘Can I have extra fruit today or extra veggies?’ and those are the ones, you know, you try to give them a little more love because they might not eat another meal until the next day," said Shay McPherson, a nutrition assistant and nearby Northside Elementary School.
Rinehart says her team is trying to fill open positions with people who can help give kids a warm meal and a smile. For application information, click HERE.
