Posted by Emily Brooks
Tim Cipriano calls himself a "lunch lady." That's simplifying things a bit. Actually, he directs one of the most progressive school lunch programs in the country, for New Haven Public Schools (NHPS), which prepares more than 17,000 lunches and 11,000 breakfasts a day for schools across the district. It's a tremendous program that focuses on quality, nutritious food, prepared from scratch, where possible.
Tim is a passionate, articulate and tireless advocate for hunger relief. In his job, he sees directly the effects of hunger on children. He knows the scope and the depth of the problem.
What's Next on Chef Tim's Campaign Schedule?
NH School Food is searching for a mobile kitchen truck. Ideally it is a truck similar to what you would see at a fair or like an ice cream truck but with refrigeration instead of freezers. With refrigeration, Chef Tim would store cold meals that he makes at the central kitchen and pass them out. If it had cooking capacity, Tim would also offer simple, hot meals with a high nutritional value like stir fried protein and veggies.
This Leading Lunch Lady is looking for a vehicle that is new or in very good condition. Ideally he would like it to be white. If not Tim would look to have it custom painted as the goal is to stand out (farm scenes with children as the farmers promoting free meals for kids) in these neighborhoods and make coming to Chef Tim fun and exciting for the kids!
The idea behind this and more info is below:
According to this Leading Lunch Lady, the idea behind the mobile kitchen is to bring the food to the housing projects that are too far of a walk from schools. "We want to be able to feed all the hungry kids regardless of whether or not they can get to a feeding site. We want to bring healthy food DIRECTLY to our kids!!!"
Meals are free to kids 18 and under regardless of income during the summer, and YOU CAN HELP!!
The goal to start is to acquire one mobile unit for New Haven for this year. In the future Chef Tim would like to acquire additional units to supply other areas of CT.
The NHPS Central Kitchen has the capacity to provide summer meals for every hungry kid in CT if needed and he intends to feed them all.
CONTACT: Chef Timothy Cipriano and read his blog.
Chef Timothy Cipriano
Executive Director of Food Services
203-946-8813 Ext. 11
TIMOTHY.CIPRIANO@new-haven.k12.ct.us
Who is this Leading Lunch Lady?
He's the Local Food Dude! Chef Tim, as he is commonly referred to, is Executive Director of Food Services for the New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) in Connecticut. He began this position in July 2008 and immediately started building collaborative partnerships around school food with local organizations such as Yale University, CT Food Bank, and Lockwood Farm in nearby Hamden, Connecticut. One of Tim's most valuable achievements to date has been introducing more fresh, local produce into the school lunch program and working to educate New Haven's urban students about fresh, healthy and great tasting food choices.
Chef Tim Cipriano is one of the most progressive advocates for school lunch reform we have in our arsenal for change. Read his blog. Interested in K-12 School Lunch Branded Concepts Program that will make YOUR school lunch program ROCK????? Let this Local Food Dude help you be successful in your commitment to serving great food to children.
Are you a Hero with a Truck to help Tim Feed Hungry Kids?
Posted by Emily Brooks
What?
Shared Harvest CT is a website that focuses on locally produced foods in a buy/sell/trade/barter/donate platform! Shared Harvest CT will allow consumers to find locally produced food in another (NON-farm market) venue, provide producers with a separate sales venue, and allow for the donation of food to those in need. Shared Harvest CT is a state-wide food distribution system allowing farmers, producers, and consumers to connect directly over the internet - in ONE interactive space and platform. Shared Harvest CT is an online farmer's market and food-bank rolled into one. Food that might potentially go to waste can also be listed for donation to participating charities and food banks.
Shared Harvest CT works like an INSTANT ONLINE SELLING classified ad section and is available for free to all producers, farmers, and consumers.
Watch our Tutorials to Learn How to Use Shared Harvest Connecticut if you are a:
Go Shopping . . . . Go Selling NOW!
Who?
Emily Brooks is the revolutionary new face of the local food and sustainable agriculture movements. Founder of Edibles Advocate Alliance, Emily nurtures social entrepreneurs who support local agriculture, sustainable farming, and sustainable food systems, and passionately believes in changing the social norm towards agricultural sustainability and development through education and coalition building.
She is the author of FARMER & FEAST Connecticut, the creator of Shared Harvest CT, and is a regular "local food & sustainability expert" on the Colin McEnroe Show.
Emily Brooks specializes in Entrepreneurial Training, Workplace & Community Sustainability Programming, and Corporate Sustainability & Environmental Education. She is a certified partner of NxLevel and HubSpot, and is a consultant for Coleman Research Group, Gerson Lehrman Group, and Guidepoint Global Advisors.
Posted by Emily Brooks
There are dirty secrets you need to know before you hit big-box retail stores the day after Thanksgiving. According to CNN, shoppers who think they will snag unbelievable bargains in a merchants' circular, will be stuck holding an empty bag.
Black Friday Sleaze Tactics
Don't we believe that if a national retailer mentions that they have a juicy deal, then they're probably prepared to have it in sufficient quantities, and if not, then provide you with a rain check? Nope. Look at the bottom of your circulars this year. You'll find wording such as:
- "while supplies last"
- "minimum 2 per store" - yes, that's 2 per STORE
- "no rain checks"
- "all items in limited quantities"
An example? This year, Sears for Black Friday is offering a 40-inch 1080p LCD HDTV for $599.99 "Only while quantities last, minimum three per store, no rain checks." Are you going to stand in line starting at 4am under such poor odds?
Also beware of another Black Friday Sleaze Tactic of selling "derivative" electronics. Derivative models have less features than a standard model in that product line, but the difference is subtle, and most consumers can't notice the difference. According to Consumer Reports, Samsung and Sony are advertising Black Friday Deals on popular HDTV TV models, but aren't letting you know that you're buying a derivative - a TV that is actually cheaper than the standard model - at standard model discount pricing. This means you're buying an electronic derivative, and actually paying MORE for it that it's worth.
So why should we support our locally owned businesses?
Purchasing locally allows you to foster relationships with your businesses and their owners. Your local retailers and small businesses don't have large corporate sleaze scams intended to take advantage of you.
According to the New Rules Project, we can enjoy our Black Friday shopping rituals as if OUR COMMUNITY mattered, not some corporate enterprise.
Investing our holiday dollars with locally owned businesses within 50 miles of where we live would:
- Prevent big-box homogenization, preserving our unique businesses and adding charachacter to our individual neighborhoods
- Locally owned businesses build strong communities by participating and giving back
- Local business owners participate in local decision making, preserving your neighborhood
- Keeps dollars, jobs, innovation & healthy competition, and passionate entrepreneurs where YOU live
- Small businesses offer products based on their interests and not on a national sales plan increasing product diversity
Swipe your VISA -- Cast a Vote.
Where will you spend your money this year?
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