Fairhaven Grade School Wins Smoothie Grant
The Fair Haven Grade School recently received a grant to purchase equipment to make fresh fruit smoothies. These smoothies will bring another exciting new breakfast option for the children. 
The Abbey Group Juding Teen Cook-Off Challenge
Recently, 3 teams from SAU 7 competed in a Teen Cook-Off challenge. Initiated by the district wellness committee, and funded by a grant from Harvard Pilgrim Health Foundation, the event challenged the student teams to create a school lunch that could meet the new USDA nutritional regulations. Each team was coached by staff from local restaurants, and advised by Steven Learned, the area Abbey Food Service Manager. The event drew enough interest to require a preliminary cook-off at 2 of the schools, Pittsburg School and Colebrook Academy. Those winners met the team from Stewartstown Community School on April 16th to decide which school would come out on top. The winners not only get bragging rights, but also monogrammed chef jackets with the winning restaurant’s logo. The judges for the final were Steven Learned, Nina Hansen, and Elaine Van Dyke. Elaine worked for the New Hampshire DOE in Childhood Nutrition for many years, and now operates her own consulting firm. The winner of the competition will be announced during a special presentation at the Tillotson Performing Arts Center in Colebrook on May 6th.
Congratulations on our Abbey Jr. Iron Chef competitors
Congratulations to our Leland and Gray Jr. Iron Chef team for winning a category in this year’s 2014 VT Jr. Iron Chef! The Abbey Group was well represented at the competition with several teams participating from around the state.
Click the link below for the full article.
Leland & Gray Article Jr Iron Chef 2014
Hunger knows no season. Summer Food Awareness Week
Although thousands of Vermont children depend on nutritious free and reduced-price meals and snacks at school for 10 months out of the year, just one in seven receive the free meals provided by the Summer Food Service Program during the summer months. That leaves many families in a food gap during the summer and these families often turn to the Foodbank to get the nutritious meals that they need.
Despite this increased need tied to school vacation, donations to food banks slowdown in the summer months.
The Abbey Group is teaming up with the Vermont Food bank to promote awareness of the summer food gap. We are coupling our efforts with a statewide canned good drive at participating locations.
Let’s work together to close the summer lunch gap and make a difference in the lives of children in our community!
What’s at stake?
- The child who doesn’t have enough to eat isn’t going to do as well in school
- And is likely to get sick more often
- They’re less likely to graduate from high school and going to college, which will have a negative impact on their economic future.
- If this happens, then twenty years from now, they’re much less likely to be able to earn enough to feed their family.
