The Houston Independent School District was ranked No. 4 among the state’s top large school districts for its outstanding child nutrition program, according to the 2021 Kroger School Food Rankings released Tuesday.
Established by Children At Risk in partnership with Kroger, the rankings recognize top-performing school food programs that go above and beyond to ensure low-income students have access to healthy food.
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District is partnering with Houston Food Bank to host community food distributions over the next three days to ensure Houston families have access to food as they recover from the winter storm.
The community distributions will be held it three different locations over the next three days — Barnett Stadium on Saturday, NRG on Sunday, and Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center on Monday.
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The Houston Independent School District is opening a sixth Neighborhood Supersite at Butler Stadium in Southwest Houston to better serve families across the city.
The move is part of an ongoing effort to streamline student meals and community distribution efforts and focus food and resources at sites where the need is greatest.
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The Houston Independent School District is streamlining its student meals and community distribution efforts for the Spring 2021 semester.
After reviewing data through the fall, Nutrition Services is closing a dozen curbside student meal pick up locations with extremely low-to-no participation. The move is designed to allow the department to focus food and resources at the most populated sites were the need is greatest.
Continue readingWith students back in class after winter break, Nutrition Services is re-starting its weekly Neighborhood Supersite community distribution program to ensure HISD students and families have continued access to good food.
The January supersites will kick off on Wednesday, Jan 6, at Barnett Stadium from 2 to 6 p.m. Another three supersites will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 9 at Hattie Mae White and Hexser T. Holliday Food Services support centers and Sugar Grove Academy.
All sites provide seven days’ worth of student meals and family food boxes from the Houston Food Bank.
Continue readingHundreds of cars idled under a grey sky with trunks ajar on Saturday as Nutrition Services worked to load them full of bags, heavy with holiday turkeys, groceries, and other household supplies.
Jessie Eagle was among those in line. She spent hours snaking through the parking lot, using the time to knit a scarf — a handmade holiday present — out of forest green yarn.
The mom of three said she was laid off earlier this year due to the pandemic, so she came to HISD’s Neighborhood Supersite at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center on Saturday for help.
Continue readingLunchtime for Tracey Crawley’s first-grade class looks a bit different these days.
Instead of eating in a bustling cafeteria, the Gregory-Lincoln Education Center students now have lunch delivered directly to their classroom. Though different, it’s something the students still look forward to — especially on chicken nuggets day.
“It’s like second nature now,” Crawley said about her students’ new lunch model and safety protocols. “The atmosphere is set for them. The food is always on time. Our team has done a great job in making it an easy process.”
Continue readingFor a lot of families, the holiday table doesn’t feel complete without a turkey as its centerpiece.
Nutrition Services will be able to provide that holiday hallmark — and a little extra holiday cheer — for up to 5,000 HISD families thanks to a partnership with and generous donation from No Kid Hungry, a nonprofit organization that aims to end child hunger.
Up to 5,000 turkeys will be distributed to Houston families just ahead of HISD’s winter break during Neighborhood Supersites scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 12 and Wednesday, Dec. 16. The turkeys are funded by an $80,000 donation from No Kid Hungry.
Continue readingAs the district prepares to close its doors for Thanksgiving, Nutrition Services is ramping up efforts to ensure all students have access to healthy food during the week-long break, which kicks off Monday, Nov. 23.
All campus curbside pickup locations will offer seven days’ worth of student meals on Thursday, Nov. 19 — the final campus curbside pickup date prior to Thanksgiving break. Typically, campus curbside pickups offer three to four days’ worth, but not a week’s worth.
Additionally, a third Neighborhood Supersites will be held at Sugar Grove Academy on Saturday, Nov. 21 — the final community distribution before Thanksgiving. The new location is in addition to two existing distribution sites on Saturdays and one on Wednesdays.
Continue readingAs in-person instruction continues across HISD, Nutrition Services has partnered with teachers and other campus workers to create a safe and healthy environment for students to be well-fed and ready to learn.
The department has created health and safety protocols to ensure safety and curb the spread of COVID-19. District students are served breakfast and lunch. Individual campuses can choose either the classroom or cafeterias for lunchtime, depending on the needs of each school.
Steps include washing or sanitizing hands and sanitizing tables before meals, as well as requiring masks and physical distancing for all students and staff. Meals are individually wrapped, and students are seated in designated areas to allow for distancing and staggered arrangements.
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