Green Initiatives
Health & Nutrition
The Charlottesville Local Food Hub and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services presented Alicia Cost and Sandra Vasquez of the Charlottesville City Schools Nutrition Services a Trailblazer Award on September 15, 2011. The award honors individuals and/or institutions who are making progress towards developing innovative and creative solutions to incorporate locally grown food into their food procurement policies and have made a commitment to increasing community access to fresh, healthy local food.
CCS Nutrition Achievements since 2002
- Partnership with the City Schoolyard garden at Buford Middle School
- Local food weeks at elementary schools, where produce from area farms is used
- Made-to-order salads and sandwiches available at Walker, Buford and CHS
- Pizza with whole wheat crust offered as an option
- New vegetarian items, like black bean and brown rice tacos
- 50% of all fruit and vegetable options are fresh and offered daily
- Salad bar at Burnley-Moran sponsored by Whole Foods
- Altered standard use of USDA commodity dollars to use in Department of Defense fresh produce purchasing weekly.
- Increased lunch periods from 2 to 4, to ensure shorter lines and allow more time for slower, healthier pace of eating (CHS and Buford)
- Collaborative partnerships with community programs, like PB&J fund, Community Obesity Taskforce, Local Food Hub, Boy’s & Girls Club and Parks and Recreation to promote nutrition, physical activity and overall wellness in afterschool and evening events.
- Awarded USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) grants at 4 of 6 elementary schools to provide daily snacks to elementary schools since 2008.
- Expanding FFV snack to extend to all 6 of elementary schools 2-3 days per week with the support of volunteer parents at the schools & equipment grants.
- Awarded VFHY grant for vending machine audit and improvement.
- Working with U.V.A Department of Public Health Sciences & CDC to survey students and promote more healthy options.
- Partnership with local chefs in recipe development & staff training.
- Presentations for parents on wellness, nutrition and cooking.
- Student taste testing with new products or recipes.