Swain County School’s Food and Nutrition Director Jennifer Brown has been named to No Kid Hungry’s 2022-2023 Out of School Time Meals Champion Cohort. Jennifer Brown is one of 10 professionals named to this inaugural cohort, who have been exemplary in their work to end hunger in their communities through the Summer and Afterschool Meals Programs Over the next year, the cohort will work to raise awareness about the Summer and Afterschool Meals Programs, provide their support and expertise to new program sponsors, and work together to develop and share promising practices to providers across the country.
“Kids need proper nutrition to learn, thrive, and grow—every day of the year. These champions
have been working tirelessly to ensure kids have the food they need, whether schools are open
or not,” says Paige Pokorney, Program Manager for the No Kid Hungry Center for Best
Practices. “We’re so excited to work with and learn from these champions over the next 12
months.”
Ensuring children have access to meals when they’re not in school has always been important, but the pandemic has magnified the importance of out of school time meals. When school doors are closed, school nutrition staff and community organizations step up to get meals out the door. For nearly two years, they have pivoted to serve meals in creative ways, guaranteeing kids are nourished, while also helping staff remain safe throughout the COVID-19 crisis.
“I am so excited to be recognized for this award on behalf of the Swain County School
District! We have an amazing staff that has worked tirelessly to make sure kids get the good
nutrition they need to grow and reach their full and greatest potential. I hope to share what we
have been able to do in Swain County with the rest of the country by being a part of this group!”
says Jennifer Brown of Swain County Schools.
The full 2022-2023 No Kid Hungry Out of School Time Meals Champion Cohort includes:
• Eugenie Sellier, Alabama Food Bank Association
• Jeremy Hahn, Life360 Community Services
• Constance Moore, YMCA of Memphis & The Mid-South
• Jennifer Brown, Swain County Schools
• Melissa Weissler, Operation Food Search
• Jeffry Snyder, Osage Prairie YMCA
• Walter Campbell, Charleston County School District
• Lynsi Barnhill, Paducah Public Schools
• Nicole Lowe, YMCA of Greater Seattle
• Brendia Moses, KCEOC Community Partnership
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, 1 in 6 kids
could face hunger in 2021. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch
and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem
we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization
committed to ending hunger and poverty.