In the Cherry Creek School District (CCSD), the pursuit of excellence extends beyond the classroom and into school cafeterias. This year, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Kim Kilgore and the Food and Nutrition Services team, the Healthy School Meals for All program was implemented seamlessly.
“Kim Kilgore and the Food and Nutrition Services team have undertaken a herculean effort to successfully make free meals accessible for all CCSD students,” Chief Financial and Operating Officer Scott Smith said. “Launching this program meant more mouths to feed, so the Food and Nutrition team had to ramp up their preparation and volume of food from 3 million to 5 million meals.”
Recently, the team served nearly 37,000 meals, a record for meals in a single day. In addition to expanding the reach of delicious and healthy food, Kilgore and her awesome team have implemented the following innovative initiatives:
- Changed bakery ingredients to reduce sugar and removed egg/dairy for students with food sensitivities.
- Started monthly initiatives to introduce families to recipes that students can make at home and to have them eat new/more veggies and fruit.
- Worked on increasing scratch cooking this year so that more students are excited to eat CCSD food and expand their pallets.
- Implemented compostable trays to help reduce CCSD’s carbon footprint and teach students the importance of sustainability.
Developed a plan to shorten lunch lines in high schools by incorporating food trucks. The department is currently working on obtaining food trucks for both high schools and events.- Provided and expanded free summer lunch program.
“This team consistently prioritizes the CCSD Core Value of Whole Wellbeing,” remarked Superintendent Christopher Smith. “The invaluable work of feeding our students with nutritious foods directly makes a difference in our students’ lives.”
“I couldn’t do it without my amazing team! They are always up for a new challenge and don’t complain,” Kilgore said.
In recognition of their unwavering dedication, innovative initiatives, and remarkable accomplishments, Kim Kilgore and the Food and Nutrition Services team truly deserve to be celebrated as Cherry Creek Heroes.
Posted on 10/11/2023.
