Month: July 2023

July 5, 2023 /3BL/ – As part of a cooperative agreement to implement the USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) has launched the Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards to celebrate school food authorities (SFA) that have made significant improvements to the nutritional quality of their school meals.

The Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards will spotlight innovative practices, student and community engagement activities, and strategies that SFAs have used to provide meals that are consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. SFAs can apply for one or more of the following Recognition Awards categories:

Breakfast TrailblazerSmall and/or Rural SFA Breakfast TrailblazerLunch TrailblazerSmall and/or Rural SFA Lunch TrailblazerInnovative School Lunch MakeoverInnovation in the Cultural Diversity of School MealsInnovation in the Preparation of School MealsInnovation in Nutrition Education

The Recognition Awards application can be found at: www.healthymealsincentives.org. SFAs are eligible to apply for the Recognition Awards if they participate in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program in all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, or the United States Virgin Islands. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis over a two-year application period ending June 30, 2025.

“Action for Healthy Kids is excited to partner with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service to showcase innovative school nutrition practices that provide children with access to nutritional school meals,” said Rob Bisceglie, CEO of AFHK. “School meals are a powerful tool to help kids get the nutrition they need. We are committed to working with the USDA and school nutrition professionals to ensure that school meals continue to provide the very best for our nation’s children.”

SFAs meeting Recognition Award criteria will receive national and local recognition, as well as an awardee toolkit that includes digital assets and travel stipends to attend a national Healthy Meals Summit. In addition, FNS and Action for Healthy Kids will highlight and share diverse best practices from Recognition Awardees nationwide through traditional and social media, stakeholder engagement, training and technical assistance activities, and Healthy Meals Summits. 

“Supporting school nutrition professionals in providing tasty and nutritious meals is one of America’s best opportunities to improve child health,” said Cindy Long, administrator of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. “Each school day, USDA school meal programs reach around 30 million children from all communities and backgrounds across the country. The Recognition Awards will highlight the remarkable achievements schools are making in offering nutritious meals that students enjoy.” Long added that the awards program will also encourage the sharing of best practices, so other schools can follow their success in meal quality.

USDA’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. The National Strategy provides a roadmap of actions the federal government will take to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases by 2030 – all while reducing disparities. 

ABOUT ACTION FOR HEALTHY KIDS

Action for Healthy Kids is dedicated to improving children’s health and well-being by bringing together and mobilizing educators, families, and other key stakeholders to help children lead healthy lives. Through its core programming and family-school partnerships, Action for Healthy Kids has impacted more than 20 million children in 55,000 schools nationwide to address systemic challenges in underserved communities. To learn more about its growing network of volunteers and champions, visit: actionforhealthykids.org

Houstonians have a giving nature.

And they’ve had plenty of chances to show their generosity over the years.

Since 2001, the Houston region has been hit with 16 federally declared disasters, from Tropical Storm Allison to Hurricane Harvey to the terrible Winter Storm Uri of February 2021.

At Enbridge, safety is not just a core value—it’s the very foundation of our business—and we see preparedness as an essential component of safety.

That’s why we’re supporting today’s establishment of the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance by the United Way of Greater Houston and the Greater Houston Community Foundation. The alliance will work to strengthen year-round overall disaster preparedness, ensuring that the greater Houston region has the social service network and systems in place to respond rapidly, equitably and effectively in times of disaster.

As part of our support, Enbridge is donating $250,000 per year for three years to the Disaster Alliance, as is fellow energy company Phillips 66—for a combined investment of $1.5 million.

A news conference was held today by both non-profits, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, and representatives of Enbridge and Phillips 66 to make the announcement.

“It’s only a matter of time before the Houston region will be impacted again and the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance gives us the opportunity to take a more proactive and effective approach to disaster recovery and resiliency,” says Stephen Maislin, the GHCF’s president and CEO. “Having the generous support of Enbridge and Phillips 66 is extremely meaningful and we are grateful to them for prioritizing the safety and well-being of our community.”

The initial investment by Enbridge and Phillips 66 will allow the Disaster Alliance to:

Strengthen its community-wide philanthropic response in the aftermath of a disaster, and distribute funds raised.Create disaster recovery partnerships with other nonprofits to accelerate disaster relief.Promote continuous learning and preparedness among disaster recovery partners.Establish a council of public-private leaders to align disaster resiliency.Pursue seed funding for ongoing innovation.

The GHCF and UWGH first formalized their partnership two years ago, after raising and deploying $34.7 million in philanthropic support in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and Winter Storm Uzi, thanks to a network of hundreds of individuals, local foundations and businesses.

“With every disaster, we see that families and individuals who were already struggling to afford the basic necessities are disproportionately impacted when crisis strikes,” says Amanda McMillian, the UWGH’s President and CEO. “Recognizing the economic peril that many in our community face when disaster strikes compels us to develop the most effective and equitable social service response that we can now. That is why the work of the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance is so important.”

Notes Enbridge President and CEO Greg Ebel: “Enbridge is keen about safety and being prepared for events that may occur is a critical part of that. The Disaster Alliance gives hard-working Houstonians the tools and resources to navigate future natural disasters and their long-term impact. The partnership builds relationships and systems to improve resiliency, response, and recovery in our region. This is vitally important work that we are proud to support.”