Business manager organizes food program
Although she is new to the district and without any experience in coordinating a massive and much-needed food distribution, Peg Burdick, the Moniteau School District business manager, couldn't tolerate the potential for the district's many food-insecure students to go hungry over the summer.
The district had planned it's first summer food program for students, as 50% of them receive a free or reduced lunch during the school year.
Also, Burdick noticed that earned income taxes received by the district had decreased, meaning the coronavirus pandemic had affected working families negatively.
“We do have a lot of families in need in our community,” said Burdick, who was hired by the school board in November.
But the district's food services manager, who was tasked with coordinating the summer food program, unexpectedly went on medical leave for 12 weeks, then retired.
“We said 'Oh boy, are we going to be able to make this happen?'” Burdick recalled.
She immediately reached out to the state Department of Education and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank for help.The food bank, in partnership with Sheetz, provided about $1,500 for startup gear, such as a canopy, large carts to wheel the food from the school building to the distribution point outside, industrial bins and other items, Burdick said.The education department informed Burdick that they would be reimbursed with federal funds for the food the district purchased for a summer program.“We also figured out what we had to do to get the applications finalized, which we did,” Burdick said.She next met with the work leaders in the secondary and elementary cafeterias about getting people to help for the program, and was met with nothing but support.“I can't speak highly enough of our cafeteria staff and all the extra effort they were willing to put in, especially since they normally have summers off,” Burdick said.On Mondays, cafeteria leader Chris Stewart purchased the food they planned to distribute and the reimbursement forms were sent in.Stewart was the natural choice to purchase the food, Burdick said, because she had done so for the meals the district distributed during the coronavirus pandemic.“I can't give her enough credit, because there were shortages of items, people go on vacation and the milk truck was late,” Burdick said.
The cafeteria staff, led by Stewart, then packed the boxes of food on Mondays.Each family received seven breakfasts and seven lunches for each child in the household up to 18 years old, plus a half gallon of white milk and a half gallon of chocolate milk.The items were a combination of fresh, frozen and shelf stable.“We tried to meet nutrition standards while keeping in mind that some kids have to prepare meals themselves,” Burdick said. “So maybe we would include a frozen pizza that could go into a toaster oven.”Special diets were accommodated so students with gluten allergies or other restrictions could have food.The meals were distributed each Tuesday, and Burdick, Superintendent Thomas Samosky, various school board members, custodians and the cafeteria staff helped pass out the food to cars that lined up at the school district.School resource officers volunteered to oversee traffic on Tuesdays.“We basically hit the alarm button,” Burdick said. “We weren't ready and everybody helped.”
The effort resulted in the distribution of 5,000 meals per week for nine weeks.“Like I said to the school board, if we kept one kid from going hungry, we succeeded,” Burdick said.Burdick told the cafeteria workers that the turnout seen for the summer food program is a testament to the community's trust in and reliance on the school district to care for students when the going gets tough.“In all my years as a business manager, it's probably been one of the most rewarding things I've done because the people were so appreciative,” she said. “It was a team effort from the superintendent down, to make this happen for the kids, and that's why we're all here.”Abigail Robinson, child nutrition outreach coordinator at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, marveled that Burdick was ready to distribute food in a matter of weeks even though it was Moniteau's first summer food program.“It wasn't her job duty necessarily, but she just stepped right in,” Robinson said.She said the program helped the many needy families in the Moniteau district, who did not have to prove eligibility to get food.“There was no stigma to getting nutritious, healthy food for the kiddos,” Robinson said.Burdick hopes to carry out the summer food program next year as well.“In future years, we'd like to do a little better quality food,” she said.
