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Food from every angle: A publication from Medium x Mark Bittman

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Half the Cost of School Lunch Goes to a 60-Cent Brown Paper Bag

Kate Bittman
Heated
Published in
6 min readMay 20, 2020

Photo: Londonderry Dining

At a time when so many of us feel utterly useless, it can help to instead feel inspired by others and what they do — on a regular basis, but especially now — to take care of America’s children. This is why I wanted to talk to some of the foodservice professionals who ensure that the 30 million kids who rely on school meals get fed every single day during the pandemic.

Despite being busier than ever, three of these incredible people spoke with me in late April about the work they’re doing. (I was connected to them via FoodCorps, an organization whose mission is to connect kids to healthy food at school.) Here’s the second, with Amanda Venezia, director of dining services for the Londonderry School District in Merrimack, New Hampshire. (The first Q&A is here.)

When we got on the phone, Venezia was feeding her kids two different kinds of pickles — one of them Vlasic, one of them gherkins. I asked how old the kids were and she said, “I don’t know anymore.” (They’re 4 and 7.)

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Heated
Heated

Published in Heated

Food from every angle: A publication from Medium x Mark Bittman

Kate Bittman
Kate Bittman

Written by Kate Bittman

Communications and connections.

Responses (3)

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People on the frontlines and those working throughout the pandemic need to have their stories told! I appreciate you sharing this perspective and a big thanks to the people keeping children fed.

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School is a pivotal environment shaping young minds and fostering personal growth. Exploring diverse subjects helps students comprehend human behavior. For insightful perspectives on psychology in education, delve into thought-provoking essays at…

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Wow, America really is the Land of Milk and Honey. The good karma you are collecting will help you and your family forge ahead. Great job!

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