WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Urban
School Food Alliance, a coalition of the largest school districts
in the United States that includes
New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and Dallas, is pleased to announce that it will
expand its membership to 17 districts with the addition of San
Diego Unified School District and Shelby
County Schools (Memphis,
TN). These new members broaden the Alliance's impact to more
than 4 million children nationwide and the group's total annual
purchasing power to more than $875
million in food and food supplies.
"These two districts are leaders in school food service and
exemplify our mission of providing healthy meals to all students
through sustainable and socially responsible practices," said Dr.
Katie Wilson, Urban School Food
Alliance Executive Director. "Their membership will expand the
geographic reach of the Alliance and strengthen the collective
voice of our members in sharing industry best practices and pushing
for systems level change."
The Alliance is a data-driven non-profit organization focused on
advancing material changes to school nutrition in the United States. Its achievements include
helping school districts adopt an antibiotic-free standard for
poultry, even before many of the nation's leading restaurants
called for healthier poultry on their menus, and removing 225
million polystyrene trays from landfills every year by implementing
compostable round plates in school cafeterias.
San Diego Unified School District is the second largest public
school district in California,
serving more than 103,000 students across 226 educational
facilities. Shelby County Schools
is Tennessee's largest public
school district. Formerly comprised of two smaller districts,
Shelby County Schools serves over
110,500 students in more than 214 schools.
"San Diego Unified Food & Nutrition is very excited to join
the Urban School Food Alliance," said Frederick Espinosa, Interim Food Service
Director. "Joining the Alliance will supply another valuable source
of resources for us to utilize to help steer our program and reach
our goal of providing healthy food to support successful
students."
"Under our current strategic plan at Shelby County Schools, we are reimagining
education, our schools, and our community of Memphis," said Eugene
Bradford, Executive Director of Nutrition Services. "The
Urban School Food Alliance's mission and vision align seamlessly
with our efforts. However, as we reimagine our district, our work
would not be complete without taking additional steps to support
the health and wellness of our students. We look forward to
partnering with our member districts to strategize, advocate, and
share best practices."
About the Urban School Food Alliance
Founded in 2012, the Urban School Food Alliance consists of 17
of the nation's largest school districts. Together, its members
represent approximately 4 million students and serve more than 690
million meals annually. The Alliance was created by school
foodservice professionals to address the unique needs of the
nation's largest school districts. As a nonprofit 501c3 group, USFA
shares best practices, crafts bids and policies that focus on
elevating school meals, and advocates for the health and wellness
of all students. Learn more about the Urban School Food Alliance at
www.urbanschoolfoodalliance.org.
Media Contact:
press@urbanschoolfoodalliance.org
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SOURCE Urban School Food Alliance