Throughout the month of February, our Healthy School Food team has helped students at 30 schools enjoy healthy, delicious meals while celebrating Black History Month. More than half of the lunch menus designed and served by DC Central Kitchen in the month of February featured foods rooted in African and African American heritage and culture. One extra– special lunch on Friday, February 20 added to our farm-to-fork model with another unique element: football!
For the second consecutive year, we teamed up with the Washington Commanders for an exciting Black History Month lunch. This year’s menu offered scratch-cooked chicken yassa, black-eyed peas, jollof rice, roasted butternut squash, garlic kale, and cantaloupe, with each component carefully prepared and served by our devoted team of school lunch heroes. There was also a book giveaway featuring Black authors and Commanders swag for every pupil. Students at Kimball Elementary from Pre-K3 to 5th grade also met Washington Commanders mascot Major Tuddy in burgundy and gold and a Washington football team legend.
Once the students had taken their photos with Major Tuddy and met former cornerback Josh Wilson Principal Eric Dabney had the chance to speak to assembled local press. His comments about the food we provide tohis students were the highlight of our day.
“DC Central Kitchen has been a great partnership for Kimball,” said Principal Dabney. “The majority of our students get three meals a day here. We open our doors 10 minutes early so that all of our kids can come in and get the great breakfast that DC Central Kitchen serves with fruit. milk, proteins, eggs. The kids love breakfast. And many of our kids are also here for supper, so not only do they get breakfast and lunch, but they also get a supper at the end of the day to keep them going because many don’t leave until 6 o’clock. When you talk about having the energy to push through and the power that your brain needs, that comes from healthy, nutritious food, that’s DC Central Kitchen.”
Thank you to all our school and community partners who make special days and loving meals like these possible, and on behalf of all of us at DC Central Kitchen, we wish you a happy and meaningful Black History Month!
