Hunger Heroes: Sandy Creek Central School District
Tracy Sullivan, Cook Manager at Sandy Creek Central School District in central New York, knew that students and staff in the district were grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic during the last school year. So, she and her team brought both nutrition AND fun to students through innovative programs and new initiatives. We are thrilled to share her story in her own words.
“Our students’ spirits were down due to many student programs not being offered due to COVID (such as sports, dances, and clubs) so we decided to do extra special events such as the first “Outdoor Cookout” and our “Golden Ticket” as well as “Picnic Lunch” events to get them excited about their lunch periods. For the cookout, we used USDA bone-in chicken with tasty BBQ sauce, corn on the cob, and “salt” potatoes to make it a huge success. As soon as we started grilling the BBQ chicken, the smell definitely drew the students in. Many students had never had BBQ chicken before so it was extra special to them.
In mid-year our numbers dropped a tad as older students were leaving to grab food at fast food places. We decided to team up with General Mills to offer some great prizes (one 26” bike and Amazon gift cards) for our “Golden Ticket giveaway.” Tickets were placed in pre-packed meals at random throughout the month of May. The participation numbers went up and students tried new menu items as they looked for those Golden Tickets. Watching them look through their meals for the ticket and to see the surprise on their faces when they found one raised the staff’s spirits as well as the students.
As we made our way to the end of the year I received permission to have the students eat their lunches out on the football field. We packed the sandwiches, veggies and fruits as well as local milk into fun happy meal boxes for them to grab on their way to the fruit slushy table. Donated jumbo straws were very eye-catching and the students loved them without even realizing it was an extra fruit serving for the day.”
At No Kid Hungry New York, we thank Tracy and all the food service staff members at Sandy Creek for going above and beyond to feed kids and keep their spirits up during a difficult time. We are grateful to have been able to support their work.