In the weeks since the schools were closed, the food service staff has prepared, delivered, and distributed over 11,000 meals to district children.

With the scramble to get through all the COVID-19 chaos, the Jamesville-DeWitt staff have found yet another way to benefit their students and keep them healthy. The J-D Food Service staff have been preparing and delivering meals to students and families unable to acquire their own food during quarantine. In fact, in the weeks since the schools were closed, the food service staff has prepared, delivered, and distributed over 11,000 meals to district children.

The changes did not come without emotions.  District Cook Manager Rita Vedsted shared the thoughts and feelings experienced by the staff in the first days.  

“The day after the closure, the child nutrition food service team was called into a meeting where we were told we were essential workers. That came with a huge wave of emotions: from tears in some eyes, fear in other eyes, anger, silence, anxiety. Silence as we all soaked it in. Who ever thought lunch ladies (as most call us) would be “essential?”  There was fear of still having to go out, to go to work, to deal with people. There was fear of bringing COVID-19 home to our loved ones. We never serve when school is closed or during breaks, but now they are telling us we are “essential,” the unnoticed team in each building.

“Our new norm is working in shifts, with small groups to bag meals for families in need in our district. As we fell into our first hectic, crazy week when all buildings were to close, there was no one else in the building. Again we were told we were “essential.”  Once again, that huge wave of emotions rolled through the room.

“So we rolled up our sleeves, put all our fears aside, came to work with pride, and gave it our all to bag meals for our children.”

Everyone involved in this program shows their love for all J-D students through their work. 

we rolled up our sleeves, put all our fears aside, came to work with pride, and gave it our all.

Workers rotate shifts and wear face masks and gloves during deliveries to stay within the COVID-19 safety regulations and to keep everyone involved in the work safe. Four different drivers deliver meals to the student’s homes if they have special circumstances. However, if the family is capable of picking their meals up, food is brought to Jamesville-DeWitt High School, Moses DeWitt Elementary School, and Jamesville Elementary School where they can grab their food and go. Meals can be picked up Monday through Friday.

For families with special circumstances, their meals for breakfast and lunch are placed in front of their door every week. Breakfast and lunch meals are delivered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Monday and Wednesday meals include two breakfasts and two lunches for every child within the household while the food brought Friday includes their meals for Saturday and Sunday as well. To maintain a safe distance, according to Transportation Coordinator Jennifer Palmer, families have even been asked to wait for drivers to arrive back at their vehicles before they go outside to get their food.

With Jamesville-DeWitt High School being the main spot for vendors to deliver, J-DHS is also the spot where all meals are made before they are shipped out to families. According to Vedsted, “approximately 300 [meals] are given to families for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.” And Palmer explained that deliveries and pick-ups are available from 11am to 1pm, this allowing for students to have the food before the end of the day.

Coordinator Francis Zaryski explained that funding for this program is provided by the federal government, as if it were a normal operation like the school breakfast and lunch programs already in place.

While the work of the staff is essential to the community and the district mission, it is not without some sadness.  Vedsted said, “We miss the students. It is sad that we cannot say goodbye to the seniors we have gotten to know, sad not being able to say goodbye to the 4^th graders and 8^th graders moving up.”

However, Vedsted tries to focus on the positives.  “We know this is temporary.  We so look forward to our cafeterias being filled with laughter as each student enjoys that half hour with friends eating meals together. The bright side to all this is that we have made new friendships, new spirit, even greater pride in who we are as the Child Nutrition Food Service team. We are JD!!”

We have made new friendships, new spirit, even greater pride in who we are as the Child Nutrition Food Service team. We are JD!

School and district leaders and administrators have been very impressed with the nutrition program.  Marcy Baker, principal at Jamesville Elementary said, “Without a doubt, our food service and transportation colleagues have stepped up in a time of need to provide for all families. They did this without hesitation as they are truly dedicated to our students whether they are in or out of school. JD is lucky to have such incredibly caring food service and transportation departments!” 

District superintendent Dr. Peter Smith adds, “Many of our students rely on their school to provide a healthy and nutritious breakfast and lunch.  When schools closed on March 16, these students faced an additional and perhaps more difficult challenge.  Within 24 hours of closure, however, our food services and transportation departments had a plan in place to provide meals for our students.  Since that time they have worked together to provide and deliver two meals to any J-D student every day, including Saturdays and Sundays.  These unsung heroes continue to work every day and have provided thousands of meals for our community.  Their efforts and commitment to the students of Jamesville-DeWitt are most sincerely recognized and appreciated.”

These unsung heroes continue to work every day and have provided thousands of meals for our community. 

To Middle School principal Andy Eldridge, “the amazing part of the ‘pandemic pause’ is the fact that all district departments switched gears from our in-person services to the remote environment instantaneously . . . Instantaneously, the food service department moved to a number of centralized locations to produce and distribute the meals for our community.  At the same time, our maintenance and custodial staff helped move the food and appliances into place to allow a total reset of our food service in a matter of hours.  Once everything was in place, the staff produced thousands upon thousands of meals for the JD community! Members of many departments around the district helped to create and distribute the meals. Done quickly and without fanfare.  Multiple people coming together to provide an important service so that members of our community can concentrate on the remote educational experience without having to worry about whether their children will have breakfast or lunch.  I am so proud to be a member of this outstanding district and salute all that have made this happen!”

The Essential Workers Who Make It Happen

High School

• Rita Vedsted, district cook manager
• Joanne Cacchione, Cook 1
• Teresa Demmon
• Lynn Kemp
• Mary Fralick
• Rebecca Forgione
• Jo-Ann Carbacio

Moses DeWitt Elementary

• Diane Thelen, cook manager
• Terri Quinn

Middle School

• Tina Mason, cook manager
• Jenny Wheeler
• Jean Ackerman
• Leslie Owens
• Claire Salloum
• Frank Whipple

Jamesville Elementary

• Johanne Hyatt, cook manager
• Tammy Noreault
• Contessa Sepalveda

Tecumseh Elementary

• Denise Reals, cook manager
• Barb Baxter
• Sue Smith

Transportation

• Drivers
  • Lynn Simone
  • Mike Schwartz
  • Kathy King
  • Mike Marr
  • Kathy Clark
  • Patrick McCarthy
  • Donna Knapp
  • Jane Aliberto
  • Terry Kuss
  • Dean Nass
  • MaryKay Brownson
  • Boyd Raymond
  • Sherry Giaquinto
  • Nick Abdo
  • Sue Jansson
  • Mike Bayne
  • Sam Bregande
  • K.P. Kelly
  • Jerry Dardzinski
  • Christine Woodford
  • Patsy Italiano
  • Sharon Cook
  • Scott Hallman
  • Dory Youngblood
  • Lewis Obit
  • Gary Rake
  • Deanna Green
  • Mike Decker
• Attendants
  • Kim Wittwer
  • Betty Williams
  • Mary Lockett
  • Marty Bolowsky
  • Mary Mehlek
  • Evelyn Bradshaw
• Mechanics
  • Jeff Chapin
  • Steve Thompson
  • Anatoliy Barva
  • Mike Haynes
• Dispatcher
  • Nikoahl Rioux