Lunch Love Letters

Just as students receive lunch love letters, the Indiana Department of Education wants to send lunch love letters to Indiana school nutrition professionals.

May's letter marks the end of the Lunch Love Letters. However, this does not mark the end of our love and thanks to school nutrition professionals! The goal of the Lunch Love Letters was to recognize Indiana school nutrition professionals’ work ethic, dedication, and passion. The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) gathered love letters to support and uplift food service during a time where love and appreciation needed to be felt the most. By reading these letters, IDOE hopes you felt seen and recognized for all your hard work.

For the final Lunch Love Letter, IDOE gathered heartfelt love letters from our team.

Thank you for all that you do for Indiana students!! I appreciate your passion for school food service and your ability to adapt to our ever changing environment. We will continue to do all that we can to support you. Keep up the great work!

On a daily basis over these past two years, I would hear about innovative and resourceful ways food service teams across Indiana met the needs of their staff, their students, their schools, and their community. The efforts have not gone unnoticed and I hope the message is clear to the rest of the state (as it is to me), your job matters. Your profession is just as essential and necessary because you provide the most basic of needs to some of our most vulnerable populations. Not only are you providing food, but you are serving up comfort, stability, and kindness, which is something that we all need. Your job matters. Your profession is essential. And you, who kept going despite all of the obstacles, have made a positive impact. Thank you.

The past two years have greatly altered the way that parents, students and the community think about school meals. Food Service staff deserve all the recognition they receive and more! Across the state, school food service departments have made lasting impacts on the most vulnerable of their student populations by providing meals to households in need during a time when money and resources for food may have been scarce. Thank you for your dedication to your craft and the time and effort you have and continue to put forth to ensure your students are fed!

It has been a pleasure working with all of our talented Food Service Directors this year as you have continued to work around the supply chain issues and staffing issues. Your hard work and dedication to your schools has shown in the way you have encouraged your staff to prepare nutritious meals for the students. Thank you for all that you do.

This school year brings thoughts of respect, people going above and beyond, togetherness, and gratitude. There is no better time to express my thanks and sincere appreciation to you and your team for all the hard work, dedication, and creativity this past year. Your dedication and commitment to ensuring the children still have access to healthy, nutritious meals during the past year have been remarkable. There have been many hurdles thrown at you and your team, especially with food and labor shortages. However, each hurdle was quickly provided a solution. I am so grateful to work with such a great team in Southwest Indiana.

As members of the Indiana Association of the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) we want to thank our local food service departments.

As we serve students all over the state, one of our strongest partners is our local food service departments and school lunch heroes. We have shared visions and goals as we work to educate students about nutrition and strive to engage students in hunger related initiatives.

The past two years have showed us the value of school meals and the strength and determination of all those that make school meals happen. Thank you lunch heroes you make a difference each and every day.

Thank you for all you do from the Indiana FCCLA State Officers and Alyson McIntyre-Reiger, FCCLA State Adviser

Thankful for School Foodservice!

Every day when I pick my sons up from school, my first question is “What was for lunch today?”

My boys & I have so much fun talking about their school lunch. I’m so thankful for the USDA School Meal Programs and all the hardworking professionals like yourself that are committed to making lunchtime the best time of the school day for children.

No restaurant or foodservice institution in town serves more meals per day than the local school systems. Your work represents nutrition and food security in a time when so many households are battling with access to fresh and wholesome food. Your work empowers children of all cultures and walks of life to come together during mealtime. Your work introduces children to new cuisines and flavors from around the world. Your work consistently exposes children to new foods, including fruits and vegetables. Your work builds community and provides children with a familiar place where they can socialize and take a mental break during the school day.

Your work is so incredibly important.

As a mom, I thank you.

As a child nutrition activist working on USDA School Meal policy, I thank you.

As the founder of The Produce Moms, I’m so inspired by you and beyond grateful.

Thank you for all that you do!

Lori Taylor

lori@theproducemoms.com

We think you’re udderly amazing! Don’t you forget how moovelous you are.

Cow puns aside, we are truly amazed at the strength, dedication, and tenacity you bring every day to feed Hoosier children. You’re work to nourish our next generation is invaluable as we know the importance of good nutrition on a child’s ability to learn and grow. With more than 12 million American children who are food insecure, we’re preaching to the choir when we say school meals are critical and are often the most nutritious meal kids will have each day.

Your efforts matter and you make a difference.

We are proud to know you and partner in the work you do to ensure every child is fed a delicious, well balanced school meal every day. Find ideas, resources, and funding opportunities here. If we can help, reach out to us here or via email below.

Thank you,

Indiana’s dairy farm families and the Youth Wellness team at American Dairy Association Indiana,

Meg Magsamen, Youth Wellness Community Manager

Josh Leitman, Youth Wellness and Communications Coordinator

Since COVID began Indiana School Nutrition Professionals have stepped up to feed healthy meals to over 530,000 students every day (even through the summer). While this year has brought new challenges and harder obstacles students are still being fed. No Kid Hungry Indiana wants to thank every one of our Hoosier Hunger Heroes, whether you are a cook, driver, or cashier. Your small acts of kindness leave a huge footprint on the lives of Hoosier students – they don’t go unnoticed.

Thank you for the passion and dedication to ensure our students receive a healthy meal with a smile. The days are long and the work burdensome – don’t give up! Each meal you prepare, cook, and serve is a step toward helping a student achieve greatness.

To read inspiring stories from Hoosier Hunger Heroes, click here. If you would like to nominate yourself or a coworker’s story, submit your nomination here. Have questions? Reach out to us here.

Tarrah Westercamp, MS, RDN, SNS

Indiana School Manager

No Kid Hungry Campaign

Dear school nutrition professionals,

May this letter serve as a small token of appreciation for all of the “extra” love and care each staff person has extended.

This is a year many schools are facing staff shortages, food shortages and paper shortages.

It has been an honor to see the staff show up every day and serve all the students because we never know which life it is that has needed us the most. Perhaps a smile or the favorite entrée made all the difference to a student today.

It is so rewarding to witness all the many acts of kindness and hospitality that transpire in these schools each and every day.

Hats and hairnets raised to the great group of school nutrition professionals in Indiana!

YOU ARE SO VERY LOVED AND APPRECIATED!!

-- Susan McCord

Service Coordinator of Child Nutrition

Metropolitan School District of Washington Township

During this month of Thanksgiving, handwritten Lunch Love Letters were submitted by students to express their thanks to YOU!

Letters From:

Rosa Parks Elementary School --- grade four students

(Perry Township Schools)

North Grove Elementary School --- grade five students

(Center Grove Community School Corporation)

To Indiana school nutrition professionals,

The past two years have been unprecedented for school nutrition programs across the state of Indiana, but you and your teams continued to deliver on your core mission: to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation’s children. Every day you work tirelessly to support the academic success of each student and encourage lifelong healthy eating patterns.

Over the past six years I have been privileged provide culinary training to many of you and your colleagues, both in person and through online webinars. I have developed a deep appreciation for your dedication to the profession and to your customers. You work hard each day to optimize the quality of the foods you serve, to prepare meals that appeal to students, and to continue your own professional development.

This has not lessened during this crisis. In fact, I have seen you working harder and with more obstacles, but never wavering from the single vision of feeding your students. You have continued to meet and exceed nutrition standards, stay abreast of food trends, and deliver high quality, healthful meals.

School nutrition programs are an essential component of successful school operations and are key in fighting hunger in America, and YOU are an essential member of the school nutrition profession. Thank you for your hard work, dedication and creativity.

While there are still many challenges, I feel very optimistic about the future of school food. People across the nation and the state of Indiana see the critical role you play in the education of our children. We see the essential part that school meals play in the academic success of children and the positive impact that school food operations can play in the local community.

Thank you for exhibiting the highest level of professionalism as you adapt and adjust every day to feed all children across the state.

Best regards,

Cathy Powers, MS, RDN, LD

Culinary trainer for Culinary Skills for A+ School Meals

As a parent, we always want our child to be taken care of when we send them off to school each day, and certainly part of that includes a healthy breakfast and lunch. What makes this even more special, as a parent, is knowing that the person serving meals truly cares about their wellbeing.

A quick story...a few years back, one of my twin daughters would frequently come home and talk about “Ms. Loretta.” After hearing her name several times, I asked my daughter to tell me more about Ms. Loretta...and I quickly realized that this special person for my daughter is the person who served her lunch every day! She was consistently a bright spot in the school day, and her caring spirit left an impression on my daughter. She often talked about how Ms. Loretta treated everyone with respect and made each child feel special.

With schools across Indiana now in full gear, I want to shine a spotlight on the countless school food service professionals, just like Ms. Loretta, who are making a difference in the lives of our students each and every day.

For many students, you are the first friendly face they see as they enter the breakfast line. Your selflessness and hard work -- both visible and behind the scenes -- ensures that our students’ nutritional needs are met and that they leave our buildings full of both the knowledge and food they need to grow and succeed!

While together we still face many challenges, the future is bright with you on the team. You are essential, and with your help, I know this school year will be a success.

Thank you for all that you do for our students, and always remember, your work matters!

--Dr. Katie Jenner

Indiana Secretary of Education

Want to submit a lunch love letter? Email us!

Email: mschabel@doe.in.gov