District to expand local procurement and summer meals with Kendall Foundation support

Worcester — The nutrition department told the subcommittee on May 4 that the district is pursuing regional partnerships and grant funding to bring more locally sourced food into school cafeterias and to expand summer meal access.

Administration said the district is launching a regional partnership with Boston, Springfield and Massachusetts Farm to School to increase procurement of New England‑grown food. The district also announced a recent Kendall Foundation grant that will fund kitchen equipment and staff training to support expanded scratch cooking and local purchasing.

Danielle Collins, the director of school nutrition, described summer meal changes and how regulations now allow adults accompanying children to be served during Summer Food Service Programs. "That is no longer the case, and actually, it's expanded... Now, when an adult accompanies children, even when they're in camp programs... they will all be served, and all meals will be free and provided," Collins said.

Administration said it has begun coordinating summer meal programming with community partners including city parks and recreation, Worcester Public Housing, the Ecotarium and the JCC for potential new sites. The subcommittee voted to receive and file the nutrition report and related summer meal planning.