{"id":15350,"date":"2026-07-27T16:53:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T16:53:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/new-york\/?p=15350"},"modified":"2026-07-27T16:53:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T16:53:17","slug":"summer-partner-spotlight-series-jamestown-public-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/new-york\/summer-partner-spotlight-series-jamestown-public-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Partner Spotlight Series: Jamestown Public Schools"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome back to our blog series, the\u00a0No Kid Hungry New York Partner Spotlight<\/i>. We\u2019ll be speaking to our partners across the state, learning what\u2019s new in their 2026 summer meals programs, and celebrating the tremendous work they do to ensure that more kids have access to the fuel they need to learn, grow and thrive. This week, we heard from Scott Johnson<\/span> at Jamestown Public Schools<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you describe your community and school district? What do you love about where you live and work?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“We live in a rural community with an enrollment of roughly 4,250 children that attend Jamestown Public Schools. People within our community tend to be very kind and take pride for living here in western NY. Our organization strives to help out the people of our local community and get involved with family engagement events. I love living in Chautaqua County because we have four wonderful seasons to enjoy living around beautiful lake Chautauqua. I have been a food service director for over 11 years and have joined Jamestown Public Schools three years ago. Since I have started, our food service team has taken on several challenges transitioning into providing fresh, innovative, scratch cooked meals. We have been getting a lot of great feedback and continue thriving to offer the best to our students here at Jamestown Public Schools.”<\/span><\/p>\n

What are some of the challenges your community is facing that you’d like to address?<\/span><\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

“Several families within our community are struggling to make ends meet as a result of the ongoing impact of inflation. At the same time, we continue to lose larger employers in our area, making it increasingly difficult for families to find stable, good paying jobs within our community.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, we are also beginning to see an increase in homelessness as more individuals and families struggle to afford basic necessities and provide for themselves. This is a very sad and unfortunate reality for many people in our community.<\/p>\n

For these reasons, it is extremely important that we take advantage of every opportunity available to support families who are desperately in need of assistance. Organizations like ours have a responsibility to identify available resources and programs and make sure those opportunities are shared with the families who need them most.”<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s new in your summer meals program this year? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“This year, we had the opportunity to offer a summer feeding meal delivery service that provides meals directly to children in their homes who may not be able to access our other summer feeding program sites. This additional service has made a significant impact on the overall success of our Summer Food Service Program. Through this service, we were able to register more than 450 children and have received tremendous positive feedback from families who are in need of this support. Many families have expressed their appreciation and gratitude for the opportunity to have nutritious meals delivered directly to their children. It makes us extremely grateful to have the opportunity to support the families and children within our community. Knowing that this program is helping families who may otherwise struggle to provide meals for their children makes all of the time and effort that goes into operating the program truly worthwhile.”<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

How do you get kids excited to eat summer meals?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“We try to provide the popular menu items that children seem to enjoy most throughout the school year. Also, we try to offer fun events such as our cookouts on site at each location creating a welcoming aroma of grilled hot dogs, burgers, and Italian sausage. The students seem to really enjoy our hands on action stations such as our grill station.”<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s your favorite meal to serve? What menu items the kids love to eat? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“One of my favorite meals that we serve to our students is our Wok Station. Right before and throughout each meal service, the aroma of Asian cuisine fills our cafeteria and flows into the hallways, enticing students to come in and enjoy a healthy and delicious meal. Our food service team saut\u00e9s a variety of fresh ingredients, including broccoli, bok choy, matchstick carrots, snap peas, mushrooms, garlic, onions, ground ginger, and, of course, a variety of delicious sauces. The combination of the fresh ingredients and the aromas filling the building create an exciting and inviting experience for our students. The Wok Station provides more than just a nutritious meal. It creates a unique and interactive experience between our students and our food service team, allowing students to see, smell, and enjoy fresh food being prepared right in front of them. It is one of the many ways we work to make school meals exciting, healthy, and enjoyable for our students.”<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

What keeps you motivated to do this work?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“One of the things I enjoy most about working in school food service is that no two days are ever the same. Each day brings new challenges to overcome, as well as new opportunities to introduce innovative culinary ideas and experiences for our students to enjoy. Every year brings new opportunities to learn, grow, and improve, not only as an individual, but also as a team. The school food service industry is constantly evolving, and continuing to learn and adapt allows us to improve the services we provide to our students. What I enjoy most is the opportunity to continue developing myself and my team while striving to be leaders in the school food service industry. Every challenge presents an opportunity to grow, and every new idea gives us a chance to make a positive impact on the students and families we serve.”<\/span><\/p>\n

If you could tell everyone in America something about free summer meals, what would you tell them?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Take advantage of the opportunity to try the healthy and nutritious meals offered through our Summer Feeding Program. The program provides valuable benefits to children by ensuring they have access to nutritious meals throughout the summer. By participating in the program, families are not only helping support the health and well being of their children, but also supporting our food service department. This support allows us to continue growing, developing new ideas, and providing more healthy and nutritious experiences for the next generation.”<\/span><\/p>\n

What’s the best feedback you’ve gotten about the work you’ve done in your summer meals program?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“This is a great question. I\u2019m not sure I could identify one specific piece of feedback as the best feedback we have received about the work we do through our Summer Feeding Programs. However, I can say that I have received numerous thank-you messages and expressions of appreciation from families and members of our community. Hearing how much these programs mean to people encourages me to continue doing what we do best and finding new ways to support our community. I have also heard many wonderful stories and received positive feedback from members of our food service team who are directly involved in delivering meals and providing hands-on support to the children we serve. When they share their experiences and stories with me, I can see how meaningful and rewarding the work has been for them. It is truly special to see the positive impact this program has done, not only on the children and families we serve, but also on the members of our food service team who have the opportunity to be directly involved in helping our community. Their experiences and the appreciation we receive from families are reminders of why this work is so important.”<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

What are you most proud of regarding your summer meals program?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“I have to say that I am extremely proud of our team for successfully launching and operating our meal delivery service with very few setbacks. There is no way we could have accomplished this without everyone working together, brainstorming new ideas, and finding solutions to the challenges that came our way. Throughout the process, our team continued to adapt, support one another, and work together to make the program successful. I am incredibly grateful for our entire food service team and the dedication, teamwork, and commitment they have shown. This program is a true reflection of what we can accomplish when we work together toward a common goal.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At No Kid Hungry New York, we thank Scott and the food service staff members at Jamestown for their dedication and enthusiasm in feeding kids throughout the summer. We\u2019re grateful to support their work and honored to shine a spotlight on their extraordinary program!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome back to our blog series, the\u00a0No Kid Hungry New York Partner Spotlight. 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