About 11 percent of Delaware households

experience food insecurity (a lack of

consistent access to enough food for an

active, healthy life). Bringing student

awareness and action to this issue fits with

Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids (HFHK)’s

mission.

The problem inspired Program Manager

Lindsay Lancaster and 10th

grade social

studies teacher Melissa Tracy at Odyssey

Charter School (OCS) to pilot a Food

Insecurity Geo-Inquiry project. They used

National Geographic’s five-step Geo-Inquiry

Process, which helps students improve

critical thinking skills. These steps are:

1. Ask geographic questions

2. Collect information

3. Visualize data

4. Create compelling stories

5. Act in their own communities

Students defined and then explored the

question: “How are citizens in the City of

Wilmington affected by food deserts and

how can we ensure all of its citizens have

equal access to healthy food?”

The high-schoolers researched the topic,

talked with local people working to

alleviate food insecurity, and mapped out

the food deserts in Wilmington. Students

created compelling videos with their

solutions to address the problem in

Wilmington. Visit our HFHK Youtube

Channel to view their documentaries.

OCS students didn’t stop there. They

expanded their school vegetable garden to

24 raised beds so they could be part of the

solution. Their harvest produced a record

crop of 300 pounds of garden produce, and

they donated 70% — 210 pounds — of it to

local food pantries. (continued on page 2)

Food Insecurity Pilot Opens Students’ Eyes

2019 HFHK Annual Report

Inside this issue:

Food insecurity project

opens students’ eyes

1

Donor spotlight 2

Our supporters and

donors

3

A message from the

CEO

4

HFHK Partner Schools

• Brader

• Brookside

• Carrie Downie

• Delaware School for

the Deaf

• Douglass

• Downes

• Eisenberg

• Elbert-Palmer (closed)

• Forest Oak

• Forwood ES

• Freire Charter

• HB DuPont MS

• Highlands

• Keene

• Lombardy

• Marbrook

• Marshall

• Mt Pleasant ES

• Nativity Prep

• New Castle ES

• North Star

• Odyssey Charter

• Pleasantville

• Read Middle

• Red Lion CA

• Rehoboth

• Serviam Girls Academy

• Shortlidge

• Springer Middle

• West Park Place

• Wilson

Our Mission

To inspire healthier lives by

providing youth with joyful

gardening experiences and

opportunities to eat the garden-

fresh vegetables they’ve grown.

State Representative and Agriculture

Committee Member Sherry Dorsey Walker

talks with the class.

“The school garden has not only

made a difference in school but also

to the outside community. We

donated our crops to people in

need, and in school, students get

access to healthy food.”

- Jigar Patel, student

2019 Reach

HFHK 2019 Annual Report

2

Our Work and Impact Continues to Grow

95%

Student awareness

of food insecurity issue

after project

77%

Students who felt

empowered to solve a

real-world problem

210

lbs.

Amount of produce

Odyssey Charter

students donated to

local food pantries

Food Insecurity Pilot (continued from page 1)

2

“I first met Thianda several years ago during

an HFHK presentation. She talked about the

limited offerings of healthy vegetables for

children in school lunch programs and the

benefits of student-grown vegetables in

raising the nutritional value of school

lunches. Thianda also spoke of the valuable

lessons students learn from their work in the

garden and in watching their “work” grow

into actual meals.

Thianda’s passion and vision inspired me to

give annually to support HFHK’s future growth. I even have my donations

set up so HFHK receives matching funds through my employer. I thank

all the volunteers and other contributors to HFHK. With all of us working

together, we make it possible for students to experience greater

nutritional value in their school lunch programs.”

Donor Spotlight | Laura Fontana

Want to Make a Difference Too?

Donate

Volunteer

Sponsor a Garden

Use Corporate Giving programs

Attend our fundraising events

Invite family and friends to

get involved

You can donate directly from our website or use the form below.

Grantors

FMC Corporation, Laffey-McHugh Foundation, Eliason Education & Greening Fund of the Delaware Community Foundation, State of Delaware Grant-In-Aid, Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Hale Family Foundation, Pollyanna Foundation, Wawa Foundation, Healthy Kids Delaware Fund of the DE Community Foundation.

Individual Donors

Gleaners ($2,500 to $4,999)

Lisa & Mark Hoffman, Kevin & Hermona Pandya.

Growers ($1,000 to $2,499)

Keki R. Balsara, Joseph Hengel, Lana Lisanti, Nancy Littleton, Thianda Manzara & Jonathon Narita, Tony & Brenda McDonald, Mary Narita, Chris & Susan Pappas, Nicholas & Dorothy Pappas, Lohit J. Sarma, James Sweigard, Matthew Tormenti, Judy Wright.

Cultivators ($500 to $999)

Laura Fontana, Amy & Eric Johnson, David & Roanne Karzon, Thalia Pappas, Frances Taccone.

Planters ($250 to $499)

Hetty & Hans Francke, Lindsay & Robert Lancaster, Natalie & Tom McKenney, Zarela Molle Rios, Lyndon & Grace Narita, Holly Stratton & David Stone, Libby & George Trammell, Amy Vollmer & Anthony Stella.

Farmers ($100 to $249)

Anonymous, Lois Ashworth, LuAnn & Michael Bolduc, Carol & Joe Bonella, Barbara Boyce, The Brody Family, Bonnabel Callens, Sundra & Ethan Christensen, Stephanie Cory Gorris, Ruth Ann Davis, Angela Gifford, HG & Kim Haskell, Kelly Houston, Kathy Hoy, Karen Hudson, Alan Jacobson, Allison Karpyn, Anne & Ed Knapper, Kenneth Kolwicz, Robert Leitch & Linda Pew, Kerry B. McKenney, Richard & Nancy Mercante, Eda Ross Montgomery, Nancy Myers, Renold Narita Family, Linda O’Hara, Andrea & Herbert Ouida, Eva Peterson, Jo-Anne Pierce-Morrison, Alex Popov, Joan Sharp, Jill & Milt Simonds, Sandy Taccone, Maria Taylor, Suzanne & Michael Thomashow, Melissa Tracy, Mary Van Deusen, Bonnie Weiskott & John Draper, Tomoko & Steve Werbe, Anne & Dick Wier.

Supporters ($50—$99)

Sally Barclay, Alisha Beckford, Eileen Carr, Jennifer Cipolla, Daniel & Anthony Condoluci-Smith, Judith DeVoy, Charles Dobbs, Jeanette Erhardt, Joseph Fader, Mary Beth French, Clare Garrison, Pamela Hanlon, April Hogan, Susan Kammerman, Nick Karzon, Rosanne Leibhart, Leslie Manzara, David W. Marvel Jr. Family,

Pamela Mathias, Ann Moss, Laura Parker, Kathy Reidinger, Daniel Schwendeman, Annie & Jim Starr, Roberta Tucci, Barbara Webb, Brian Wilkinson, Alice Xu.

Organizational Donors and Sponsors

Brightfields Inc., Mallard Financial Partners, JP Morgan Chase, World Centric. In-kind: Axxiom Escape Rooms, BBC Tavern & Grill, Brandywine Valley Massage, Brandywine Zoo, Breakthru Beverage Delaware, Calvert Farm, Cavaliers Country Club, Cheesecake Factory, Chelsea

Tavern, Corrective Chiropractic, Deerfield Fine

Wines, Delaware Art Museum, Donna Kleinman, Empowered Yoga, Golf Galaxy, Hagley Museum, Harvest Market, Hockessin Athletic Club, Kramer Portraits, Liberty Yoga, Longwood Gardens, MassMutual Foundation, Newark Natural Foods, Olive Tree Café, Pat’s Pizza, Permanent Cosmetic Studio, Peter Kate Boutique, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Phillies, Salon Rispoli, Twin Lakes Brewing, Vincenza & Margherita, William Penn HS/Penn Farm, Winterthur Museum and Gardens, Woodside Farm Creamery, World Café Live at the Queen, World Centric, YMCA Delaware, Zingo’s Supermarket.

Providers of In-kind Services

PHS Corporate Services. All the truly fabulous school principals, teachers, staff, and parent volunteers who make our programming possible, especially: Christina Child Nutrition Services Supervisor Andrea Solge & Nutrition Specialist Kendall Wagner & their team, Colonial School District (SD) Nutrition Services Supervisor Paula Angelucci & Nutrition Specialist Scott Schuster & Operations Manager Tammy Roop and their team, Red Clay SD Nutrition Specialist Jessica Farrand & Manager Jessica Terranova & team. Brandywine SD Supervisor Pam Gouge and Specialist Colleen Carter & team.

Principals/Administrators

Jeanette Ganc, Eric Stephens, Chrishaun Fitzgerald, Anne Park, Erin NeCastro, Barbara Land, Mariellen Taraboletti, Amy Selheimer, Karin Jakubowski, Maribeth Courtney, Tracy Woodson, Tracy Novack, Natalie Birch, David Distler, Douglass Timm, Nicholas Wolfe, TeRay Ross, Matthew Auerbach, Connie Short, Jennifer Alexander, Michael McDermott, Linda Jarman, Melissa Phillips, Jason Bastianelli, Paul Ramirez, Altina Herbert, Erin Cassel, Krystal Green.

Garden coordinators

Lynn Nai, Mary Beth French, Maria duPont, Candace Dutcher-Kogut, Sandy Harper, Heidi Bloch, Colleen Sauder, Kathleen Vachris, Maryann McConnell, Nancy Rybinski, Jean Tucker, Amy Joseph, Desiree Faison, David Brown, Maureen Romeo, Lawrence Evans, Pat Durbano, Sarah Kise,

Kelli Batten, Rebecca Krieg, Kathrine Hawkins, Tom Reist, Wendy Turner, James Ferguson, Gina Beyer, Melissa Condit, Elaine Mendelson, Carrie Murphy, Jason Cohen, Rebecca Schuck, Danielle Black, Katie LeCocq, Brooke Buffington, Melissa Tracy, Tara Lynch, Dasianee Foster, DeEtte Kauffman, Karen Conte.

School Garden and Community Dinner Volunteers

Countryside Garden Club, Garden Gate Garden Club. Dr. Barbara Boyce, Kevin Cleaver/Nature’s Call Landscaping, Wayne Corbin, Jenna Morris, Maureen Stone.

Farmers

David Marvel of Marvel Farms, Pam Stegall of Calvert Farm, H.G. Haskell of SIW Vegetables, Toby Hagerott of Penn Farm.

Partners and Networks

NCC Cooperative Extension: Educator, Horticulture Carrie Murphy, Master Gardeners Lois Ashworth and Hetty Francke. Delaware Urban Farm and Food Coalition, DE Food Research Network. University of Delaware Community Nutrition and Evaluation Models and Approaches classes. DE Association for Environmental Education.

HFHK Board Committee/Event Volunteers

Alisha Beckford, Cathy Blanchet, Barbara Boyce, Emma Brown, Joan Burke, Jennifer Cipolla, Chuck Dobbs, Hoffman Family, Brenda McDonald, Natalie & Tom McKenney, Jenn Miller, Libby Sullivan Trammell, Carolyn Stankeiwicz, Maya Turner, Barbara Ward, Bonnie Weiskott, and student and parent volunteers.

Our wonderful HFHK Board members, with special thanks to Creative Financial Group for use of their facilities.

In Memoriam

Thank you to our HFHK supporters!

3 HFHK 2019 Annual Report

Master Composter Hetty Francke was a

beloved friend and advisor to HFHK.

HFHK 2019 Annual Report

Thianda’s Take: A message from the CEO

In 2019, the Board began a strategic planning process to set

forth a path for HFHK’s long-term success. Expansion to all

three Delaware counties was one focal point of this process.

Our program was already serving 30+ schools in New Castle

County, some for as long as 15 years. The time had come to

address the need for agricultural and nutrition education in

more rural Kent and Sussex County schools.

Thanks to HFHK board member Dr. Lisa Hoffman, leaders of

the FMC Corporation agreed to donate $100,000 over a three-year period so we

could create a new position for a Sussex-Kent County Program Coordinator and

build more gardens. Expansion will also be supported by a Specialty Crop Block

Grant from the Delaware Department of Agriculture for just under $50,000.

With funding secured, we joined with wonderful community partners, such as the

Coastal Gardeners and Sussex County Cooperative Extension. Together we began

building relationships with Sussex County schools.

As exciting as expansion is, the importance of maintaining our current school

gardens and staff cannot be overstated. We are truly grateful to our faithful

supporters who sustain us. We are especially thankful to the Laffey-McHugh

Foundation for their financial support and help in growing the capabilities of our

organization through board development, and staff training and support.

The coronavirus pandemic has delayed our progress a bit. Nevertheless, we remain

focused in 2020 on refining our strategic plan, along with increasing funding to

sustain our growing staff, build more gardens, and improve the health and well-

being of more Delaware children. We hope you will join us in this effort.

Many thanks,

HFHK Board of Directors 2019 Thianda Manzara, PhD, Founder & President/CEO

C. Anthony McDonald, CLU, ChFC, MSFA Chair Frances Taccone (Griffith), PhD, RD/LDN Vice chair

Malina Robbins, MBA Treasurer

Nancy Littleton, LUTCF, ChFC, CLU, RICP Secretary Jolisa Copeman, MS

Lisa Hoffman, PhD

Svetlana Lisanti

Natalie McKenney, RDN

Thalia Pappas, PhD

Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids P.O. Box 847 Hockessin, DE 19707 Phone: 302-981-0043 info@healthyfoodsforhealthykids.org www.healthyfoodsforhealthykids.org

4

“Once children discover that the

veggies they grow can be

delicious, healthier eating is a

habit they will take into

adulthood.” - Thianda Manzara

Dr. Thianda Manzara

Founder and CEO

Funding Sources By the Numbers

$12

Cost per Student

Below: Eisenberg 5th Grade Harvest