Associate Director of the Burlington School Food Project recognized for “breakthrough approach”
Vermont Business Magazine Heather Torrey, Associate Director of the Burlington School Food Project (BSFP) of the Burlington School District, was named Director of the Year by the School Nutrition Association of Vermont (SNA-VT) for “Pioneering Approach to Challenging Year” to nutrition programs School in Vermont. “
Faced with unprecedented disruption over the past 12 months, Heather Torrey and the BSFP developed several innovative strategies for feeding communities during the pandemic, SNA-VT noted. Perhaps most notable was their visionary Free Family Meal Kit program, which offers children ready-made meals and groceries for seven days. BSFP has built and distributed more than 20,000 meal sets since September 2020, representing 560,000 meals and snacks.
Boxes are available for free pick-up every week on Wednesdays and Fridays across Burlington. https://www.bsdvt.org/2020/09/16/free-family-meal-kits-wednesdays-and-fridays/
“School nutritionists have always played a vital role in supporting student wellbeing and success by providing nutritious meals to boost academic performance, but during the pandemic, these women and men have been the frontline heroes accepted. In a year when so many could easily shy away from the challenge and take the “least hassle” path, Heather led her innovation team, reinvented the Burlington food service model, assisted district nutritionists across the country, advocated for Universal School Meals and inspired us with positivity, ”said Karyl Kent, President of SNA-VT.
“I am humble and truly grateful to be recognized by my colleagues and colleagues for this award,” said Torrey. “This year, no opportunity has been spared to present new challenges and I am very happy to work with the dedicated, inspiring and talented school nutrition team here in Burlington. Many thanks to my colleagues and good friends at SNA-VT for the camaraderie, teamwork and patience with me when I have a wild idea. I would not have survived this year without the support of my school feeding family! “
Because of Torrey’s passion for feeding children, this food package program, made possible by the state’s USDA Waivers, has been a recipe for success for school feeding programs across the state.
“One of the reasons Heather’s work stands out in a year where so many school catering programs have done amazing things is her willingness to share all of the efforts she put into developing these food boxes,” said Harley Sterling, Windham Northeast SU School Nutrition Director. “It seems easy to send groceries home instead of prepared food, but it was a lot of work figuring this out, from making calls to the education authority to creating the spreadsheets that helped us all reproduce the success of BSFP. It really shows a special dedication to feeding children across the country. “
“As a registered nutritionist, she has given the Burlington School District a higher level of credibility,” said Doug Davis, director of the Burlington School Food Project. “She has been so well received by nurses and parents, especially on allergies, nutritional testing, and on our wellness committee. This was particularly relevant and effective during our reopening work this year and our Covid preparation. “
School Nutrition Association of Vermont, is the VT section of the School Nutrition Association (SNA), a national, nonprofit professional organization that represents 50,000 school nutritionists across the country. The SNA, founded in 1946, and its members have set themselves the goal of making healthy school meals and nutritional education accessible to all students. For more information on school meals, visit www.SchoolNutrition.org/SchoolMeals.
Source: Burlington School District (BSD) 6.4.2021
