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PARTNERS | HEALTHY CITY | HOW HEALTHY | VISION | SUMMIT | PRIORITIES | FUNCTIONS | CITY OF FALL RIVER |
Bob Dempsey oversees the
preparation and serving of over 7,500 meals to the 11,000 students
throughout the Fall River
Public Schools each day to ensure that students have the nutrition
they need to perform well in school. Many students eat both breakfast
and lunch at the school, as all elementary, middle school and Durfee
High School children
now receive a free breakfast consisting of cereal, milk, juice and bread
every morning. Free or reduced-fare lunches are served to 65% of the
students. Non-subsidized lunches are available for only $1.20, one of
the lowest prices of all public schools statewide. (Peanut butter
sandwiches are even available to students who forget their lunch money.)
Mr. Dempsey has been gradually making changes in the menu to conform to
new nutritional guidelines. Reduced fat milk, 100% fruit juice, and
bottled water are now available at all schools. "We have never offered
soda in our schools, including from vending machines," notes Dempsey. He
is gradually introducing whole wheat bread, whole grain pizza and fewer
foods with trans-fats as well. "We have never had fry-o-laters; French
fries are always oven-baked. We're also looking at adding a salad bar,"
he adds. Mr. Dempsey serves on the committee developing new system-wide
Wellness Guidelines for nutrition and fitness throughout the
schools. |
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(Top row) Mr. Dempsey oversees the preparation and serving of 7,500 meals each day at five kitchens located at Kuss, Talbot and Henry Lord Middle Schools, Silvia School and Durfee High School. Hot meals are then distributed to the other schools in the system. (Middle row) Maria Valorosa and Fatima Melo (left) and Hilda Mathias and Rosa Carreiro (right) greet students going through the line with a big smile. (Bottom row) Water (for 50 cents) and fruit juices (for 75 cents) are offered instead of soda along with low-fat milk for a quarter.
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