Real Food For Kids September Newsletter

September 2015

Welcome Back to School!

REAL FOOD FOR KIDS

Real Food For Kids is eager to get back to school! We have exciting news and program announcements In This Issue. Including some

BIG NEWS on TWO ways you can help us grow.

1. HELP US WIN $12,000 through WTOP's Click for a Cause Contest. Click HERE to vote for Real Food For Kids. The cause with the most votes wins! It's just that easy. Please click right now to ensure your vote counts - voting ends 5:00PM, September 25, 2015

2. Make a tax-deductible donation to RFFK and your donation will be MATCHED by the generous support of The Sampson Foundation. All donations received will be matched up to $50,000.

OUR BEST WISHES TO STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS. WE HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT YEAR.

In This Issue

Food Days 2015

FCPS Holds Professional Development Day At Willowsford Farm

Thank You Sampson Foundation

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RFFK Monthly Meetings If you have an interest in making a positive change in the lives of children in your community, please consider joining our team. Contact Us or attend one of our regular monthly meetings - typically held each 3rd Thursday. NEXT MEETING Thursday \| 1:OO PM Sept. 17, 2015 Whole Foods \| Reston Plaza America

Welcome Rodney Taylor

Food & Nutrition Services Director for FCPS

Real Food For Kids extends a warm welcome to Rodney Taylor, FCPS' new Director of Food and Nutrition Services.

FCPS completed a national search for a new Director of Food and Nutrition Services, seeking a leader with excellent communication skills, strong experience in school food service management, a track record of accomplishment, and a commitment to shaping national nutritional trends.

Mr. Taylor was previously the Director of Nutrition Services for Riverside Unified School District in Riverside, California where their Farm to School Program takes a comprehensive approach to promoting healthy eating. He is recognized as a pioneer and expert in farm-to-school salad bars and is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including the Center for Ecoliteracy's "Leadership Award", The California Endowment's "Health Heroes" Award, Loma Linda University Award for "The Promotion Of Healthy Lifestyles-For Outstanding Commitment To The Public's Health", and the Riverside Human Relations Commission's "Heroes Award".

We are so excited to have Rodney Taylor join FCPS and look forward to working with him in the upcoming months and years!

Mark your Calendar

Food Day Events at Sleepy Hollow and Sully

During the 2015-2016 school year, RFFK is partnering with two Title 1 schools - Sleepy Hollow ES in Falls Church and Sully ES in Sterling.

We will be working with these communities throughout the year, engaging in a number of project based learning programs. We will kick-off this partnership in October with our annual flagship program, Food Day.

We are in real need of volunteers in planning (leading up to Food Day) and on the day of the event. Please consider helping RFFK, by volunteering a few hours of your time.

Check out this video from Food Day 2014 and contact Jenny Hein to join in and volunteer for this years' event.

FCPS Professional Development Day

At Willowsford Farm

On September 2nd, Real Food For Kids, in partnership with Willowsford Farm, held a professional development event for all seven FCPS Culinary Arts Chefs. The afternoon was designed to extend an awareness of the available resources in our communities and to promote dialogue about farming, food and community.

Everyone enjoyed learning more about how the farm to table concept of sustainable foods is operated and the importance of sourcing locally and using seasonal ingredients when available in recipes.

We would like to thank Chef Bonnie Moore and her staff along with farmers Mike Snow and Deb Dramby for a wonderful afternoon of learning and enjoying food and fellowship.

Later this month Real Food For Kids and Willowsford will be holding staff training events for all LCPS cafeteria managers. More information to follow in our next newsletter.

Sampson Foundation Donation

Fuels 2015 Growth

The Sampson Foundation, a local family foundation striving to create healthy communities, has generously agreed to provide a grant for $50,000 for 2015 / 2016 with an additional match of up to $50,000 for any other donations which RFFK receives.

Over the last three years, the partnership with The Sampson Foundation has allowed RFFK to continue and grow our flagship Food Day and Culinary Challenge events and advance our advocacy efforts with school food. This year's donations will extend our reach and include more students, more families, and more schools in our fun, project-based-learning activities and programs.

New this year, RFFK will be partnering with two Title I schools. We will be kicking off our partnerships with Food Day events at both schools. In addition, we will continue to provide nutrition and wellness programs for the students and staff throughout the school year. We are also excited about our Farm to School activities, school staff training workshops and our expanded DC Metro Kids Cook Recipe Contest and Teen Taste Sense-ation.

RFFK is supported by volunteers and donations like yours. The Sampson Foundation's donation will allows us to expand our programs this year but there is still more to do. Together we can make a lasting change for our children and our communities. Please help us take advantage of their matching donation offer by making a tax-deductible contribution to RFFK today.

Thank you for your support.

As the local face of the national wellness movement, Real Food for Kids is committed to working in collaborative ways to increase the quantities of healthy foods in our school systems and communities, and in supportung programs that educate our students and their families on making healthier lifestyle choices.

www.realfoodforkids.org