{"id":15385,"date":"2026-08-21T14:31:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T14:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/new-york\/?p=15385"},"modified":"2026-08-21T14:31:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T14:31:19","slug":"summer-partner-spotlight-series-dryden-central-school-district","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/new-york\/summer-partner-spotlight-series-dryden-central-school-district\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Partner Spotlight Series: Dryden Central School District"},"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 Megan Munson at Dryden Central School District<\/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

“Dryden is a close-knit, rural community in the heart of Tompkins County. What I love most about our community is the strong sense of connection\u2014people genuinely care about one another and take pride in supporting our students and families. Our school district reflects that same community spirit. We\u2019re a smaller district, which allows us to build meaningful relationships with our students and families and really get to know the people we serve. I love that there is a strong sense of Lion Pride and that our staff are incredibly dedicated to making a difference in students\u2019 lives. From a Food Service perspective, I\u2019m especially proud of how connected we are to our community. We\u2019ve been able to build relationships with local farmers, producers, and businesses and bring more local food into our schools. It\u2019s rewarding to know that the meals we serve are not only nourishing our students, but also supporting the community around us. I think what makes Dryden special is that it truly feels like a community\u2014not just a school district. There\u2019s a lot of heart here, and I\u2019m proud to be part of it.“<\/span><\/p>\n

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

“From a school food perspective, one of the biggest areas I\u2019d like to continue addressing is food access and food insecurity. We have an opportunity to make sure every child has access to nutritious, appealing meals\u2014not only during the school day, but throughout the year. I\u2019m proud that our district has been able to provide meals during the summer and connect with community partners to reach families outside of the traditional school setting.“<\/span><\/p>\n

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

“For me, it\u2019s really about meeting kids where they are. Summer should be fun, and food should be part of that experience. When kids see familiar faces, feel welcomed, and know they\u2019re going to get something they enjoy, they\u2019re much more likely to participate. We also listen to what they like and use their feedback to shape our menus. Ultimately, we want kids to associate summer meals with good food, fun experiences, and community\u2014not simply a free meal.”<\/span><\/p>\n

What keeps you motivated to do this work?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“What keeps me motivated is knowing that the work we do has a direct impact on our students every single day. Food service is about so much more than putting a meal on a tray\u2014we\u2019re helping students fuel their bodies, focus in the classroom, and develop healthy relationships with food. I\u2019m also motivated by the opportunity to keep improving. I love looking at what we\u2019re doing and asking, \u201cHow can we do this better?\u201d Whether that\u2019s cooking more from scratch, sourcing more food locally, reducing processed ingredients, creating meals that kids are excited to eat, or finding ways to make our program more sustainable, there\u2019s always an opportunity to grow. And honestly, the kids are the biggest motivator. When a student tells us they loved something we made, comes back for seconds, or gets excited about seeing a favorite meal on the menu, it reminds me why all the behind-the-scenes work matters. I want our students to be proud of their school meals, and I want our community to see school food as something valuable\u2014not something we simply have to provide. That\u2019s what keeps me excited about the work.”<\/p>\n

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

“I think people don\u2019t always realize: when families participate in summer meals, they\u2019re also supporting their local school district. Participation helps strengthen these programs and demonstrates that there is a need for them in our community. The more our community uses and supports the program, the better positioned we are to continue offering and growing these services.”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/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

“One of the best pieces of feedback I\u2019ve received actually came from a parent while we were handing out summer meals. She asked me how we make our macaroni and cheese because her child told her that \u201cMom doesn\u2019t make it as good as the school does!\u201d That really made me smile, but it also meant a lot to me. It\u2019s easy to focus on the numbers, logistics, and everything that goes on behind the scenes to make a summer meals program happen. But hearing that a child genuinely look forward to and enjoys the food we\u2019re serving is incredibly rewarding. For me, that\u2019s exactly what we want summer meals to be\u2014nutritious food that kids are excited to eat and that families feel good about. If we can make a child\u2019s favorite mac and cheese and give them a positive experience with school meals even when school isn\u2019t in session, I consider that a win.“<\/span><\/p>\n

What are you most proud of regarding your summer meals program?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“I\u2019m most proud of what our team is able to accomplish with the resources and staff we have. We operate our summer meals program with a very limited team, yet we\u2019re still able to produce and serve a significant number of meals for our community.”<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

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

Welcome back to our blog series, the\u00a0No Kid Hungry New York Partner Spotlight. We\u2019ll be speaking to our partners across the state, learning what\u2019s new in their 2026 summer meals…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-15385","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-blog"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSummer Partner Spotlight Series: Dryden Central School District - NEW YORK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/new-york\/summer-partner-spotlight-series-dryden-central-school-district\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Summer Partner Spotlight Series: Dryden Central School District - NEW YORK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Welcome back to our blog series, the\u00a0No Kid Hungry New York Partner Spotlight. 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