Dragonfly Tales: The power of school meals

Hi Gini,

One of the opportunities I'm most grateful for is getting to work with changemakers across the country, transforming their communities. One of those changemakers is Teresa McGhee, or "Ms. McGhee" as she's known by her students.

Teresa is the Cafeteria Manager at George H. Oliver Elementary School in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Born and raised in Clarksdale, Teresa has worked in the food service industry for 17 years — and the last six at George H. Oliver. Teresa's keenly aware that the majority of the students' nutrition is coming from school, not from home.

As the Cafeteria Manager, Teresa sources the school's food and oversees the cooking. And despite being responsible for so much, she still knows every single child's name and if they have dietary restrictions.

Teresa and her team often go the extra mile. They provided meals during COVID lockdowns so students didn't go hungry. And they're doing everything they can to care for the children in their community.

George H. Oliver is located in the Mississippi Delta, which has some of the highest rates of food insecurity in the country. Many residents have to travel 20 miles just to get to a grocery store and 95% of students at the school receive free or reduced school lunch.

This isn't happening in a vacuum. The food system impacts so much of our lives. Good food and health go hand in hand — and should be a priority for the millions of children that lose access to meals while being out of school during the summertime.

Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is working to support transformational change in the Delta alongside stakeholders like Teresa. Together, we're ensuring that every family will have access to good food no matter where they live — and no matter the season.

Gini, the food equity movement is powered by people like you. We must create a food system that works for all of us! I hope I can count on you to help make good food for all a reality.

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Together, we've got this,