Suburban, Urban and Rural-Oh my!

Summer Mobile Meals in MarylandKara Panowitz, No Kid Hungry MD, Share Our StrengthMelissa Moore, Family League of Baltimore

MOBILE MEALS: WHAT

• Connecting Meals to Kids Where They Live, Learn, & Play• Meals to Sites: meal delivery to fixed sites• Children to Sites: transportation solutions to increase

access to fixed sites• Mobile Sites: food truck, retrofitted school bus, etc.

Maintain Congregate RequirementEnsure Food Safety

1. MOBILE MEALS: WHY

• Most children are at home during the summer months• Transportation is a barrier to accessing summer meals• Not all sites have food preparation or storage facilities• Prime summer site locations may be different from the

school year• Opportunity for partnership

Garrett County Public SchoolsScott Germain, FNS Director

• Rural (aka- “out there in the mountains”)

The need for mobile

• Reach children in remote areas• Shelter from inclement weather

The mobile trailer

• First looked at school bus• GCPS doesn’t own buses, need a CDL

• Enclosed concession trailer with rear ramp door• Pulled by truck they already have• Used old bus seats for

indoor seating

• USDA rural development grant, Share Our Strength grant,

funds from local businesses

Outreach

Info on trailerYard signs at sitesLocal newspaper articleSummer magazine for CountyRadio station announced menu every morning

Programming

• Books from MD Book Bank, libraries• Farmer’s market

Anne Arundel County Public SchoolsJodi Risse, Supervisor, FNS

• Suburban

AACPS Mobile Meals History • Began with one bus in west

county• Second year, added second

bus in the northeast part of our county

• Changed location of the second bus to north county

AACPS Mobile Meals History• Van delivery for Recreation and Parks Sites, both in the

city and county• Began in 2011• Include registered summer camp attendees• Use of vehicle (van) is part of an exchange with logistics• Food & Nutrition Services Staff drive, deliver and record all

meals served

Expansion Cross Agency Collaboration

Food Environment Map 2015

Mobile Meals Expansion • Community Partnerships

• Recreation and Parks• School Administration Outreach

• Expand programming to non traditional sites• Mobile Site Enhancements

• Physical Activity - 2013• Weekend Food Backpacks - 2014• Community Engagement - 2015 and 2016

AACPS Summer Mobile Meals

• Marketing• Brand Identification• Social Media• Backpack Stuffers• Connect Ed Phone Calls• Cross Agency Promotion• AACPS – TV (shows and PSA’s)• Menu Announcements

Baltimore, Maryland

Community ConversationsWith Community Champions

Route Site Address Breakfast LunchVan 1 Ellwood Park 316 N Ellwood 10-10:30 1-1:30Van 1 Patterson Park Library 158 N Linwood Ave 10:35-11:01:35-2:05Van 1 Tench Tilghman Courts 600 N Patterson Park 11:10-11:42:10-2:40Van 1 Bocek Park 3000 E Madison 11:45-12:12:45-3:15

Van 2 Cherry Hill Homes 3 1015 Bethune Rd 10-10:30 1:30-2Van 2 Cherry Hill Homes 1 2700 Spellman Rd 10:10-10:41:40-2:10Van 2 Cherry Hill Homes 2 934 Seagull Ave 10:20-10:51:50-2:20Van 2 Cherrydale Apartments 1118 Cherry Hill Rd 10:45-11:12:15-2:45Van 2 Westport 2338 Annapolis Rd 11-11:30 2:30-3Van 2 Carroll Park 1798 Washington Blvd 11:15-11:42:45-3:15Van 2 Walbrook Library 2303 North Ave N/A 3:10-3:40Van 2 John Eager Playground 2011 Linden Ave 11:45-12:13:20-3:50Van 2 Druid Heights 2128 McCulloh 11:50-12:23:30-4Van 2 Wilson & Etting 514 Islamic Way 12-12:30 4-4:30

Team 1 - Destiny: Team 3 - Brian: Team 2 - Matt: Team 4 - Lesli:

Sites, Routes &Teams

Meal Climate, Menu, Activities,

Money

Washington County Public SchoolsMike Embly, Assistant Supervisor, FNS

• Suburban/ Rural

The Need- The Beginning: Summer 2012

• Traditional open site participation was extremely low.• Children were observed in concentrated areas, but not

within safe walking distance to our school open sites.• First step was to identify potential sites.• Developed relationships with potential site hosts.• Decided to start small with one vehicle to service 2 stops.• Used transport equipment that we use during the regular

school year.

Mobile Meals Year One: Summer 2013

• Used 2 Food Service staff members who were experienced with transporting food and were Servsafe certified.

• Used cell phones to communicate with the base kitchen to deliver more as needed. This practice also helped to control leftovers and waste.

• Mobile sites were doing more than double the amount of meals than traditional open sites.

• In the end with very little money they were able to get a mobile truck up and running and served over 7,000 meals.

Mobile Meals Year two: Summer 2014“ The New & Improved Meal Machine”

Rolled out a new and improved Meal Machine with the help of a grant from the National League of Cities thanks to the Walmart Foundation. With the grant money we achieved the following:

• Purchased a used step van (UPS type truck).• Retro fit the truck with: serving window, awning, backup camera for added safety, sound

system (for programming), and graphic lettering.• Purchased proper hot and cold holding equipment.• Purchased a mobile sink.• The new Meal Machine allowed us to spend

more time serving meals and less time setting up.

• Increased marketing efforts • (Door hangers , yard signs, posters, and flyers).

• Currently operating 6 Mobile Meal Machine Sites averaging 430 lunches per day.

• Additional partnerships with the YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, Girl Scouts, Girls, Inc., Salvation Army, Hagerstown Community College, and Frostburg State University.

Where They Are Now!!!

Programming is Important

• Book Mobile• Mobile Dental Clinic• Authentic Community Theater• Oriole Mascot Visit• Chef Jody demos• MD 211 trinket giveaway• Surprise (surprize) day giveaway• Site based activities • Hagerstown Housing Authority• Dairy Princess activity

Harford County Public Schools• Mostly suburban, some rural

Partnerships With Harford County Organizations, Childhood Hunger Outreach Network

Labor Management Board

Healthy Harford

Department of Social Services

Faith Based Community

Pupil Personnel Workers (PPW)

Types of Sites: apartment complexes, mobile

home sites, outdoor parks, churches

Lessons Learned….

• Start A Work Group To Help You Spread The Word And Gain Public Interest

• Start Small!

• Develop Good Systems For Keeping Food Fresh, Safe And Offer Variety

• Set A Good Delivery Time Schedule

• COMMUNICATION!!!

• Flyers

• Back Pack Mailers

• Summer Table Flyers (English & Spanish)

• Healthy Harford Website

• Telephone Line

• Yard Signs

• Van Decals

• Word of Mouth

Outreach

Fun Stuff For The Kiddos!

• Make Mobile FUN!

• Trinkets

• Books

• Games

• Prizes

AACPS Summer Mobile Meals• Menu

• hot and cold options, prefer hot meals• 2 week cycle menu• Lowboy Storage Units to maintain temperatures• Hot and Cold storage bags for transportation• Sample Menu

• General Tso Chicken with Rice • Chicken Leg with Corn Muffin• Craisins or Strawberries• Carrot Sticks or Broccoli Florets• Choice of Milk

Harford County- Bagged Lunch Menu for Mobile Sites

Bologna & Cheese on Roll

**or alternateCarrot Sticks ½ cupAssorted Fruit Cup

(1)Milk (1) – 8 oz.

Turkey Pepper jack Wrap

**or alternateCucumber Slices ½

cupSliced Apples (1)

Milk (1)-8 oz.

Deli Ham Sandwich**or alternate

Carrots and Celery ½ cup

Frozen Whole Fruit (4 oz.)

Milk (1)-8 oz.

Chicken Salad on Roll OR

Chicken Breast on Roll

**or alternateBroccoli Florets ½

cupApplesauce Cup (1)

Milk(1)- 8 oz.

Italian Cold Cut Sub

**or alternateCarrot Sticks ½

cupFresh Fruit (1)Milk(1)- 8 oz.

MOBILE MEALS: HOW

• Learn About Different Models• Ask the Right Questions• Effective Budget Planning• Planning & Logistics• Implement Best Practices

No Kid Hungry Center for Best Practies: https://bestpractices.nokidhungry.org/- Mobile Meals webinar recording

Contact Info• Kara Panowitz, Out of School Time Manger, MD No Kid Hungry/

Share Our Strengthkpanowitz@strength.org

• Melissa Moore, Director of Food Access, Family League of BaltimoreMmoore@familyleague.org

• Scott Germain, Garrett County FNS, sgermain@ga.k12.md.us• Jodi Risse, Anne Arundel County FNS, jrisse@aacps.org• Mike Embly, Washington County FNS, emblymi@wcps.k12.md.us• Kristen Sudzina, Harford County FNS, Kristen.Sudzina@hcps.org