A Message From Your SNA Industry Advisory Council Chair |
I was driving my 7th grader to get a COVID test the other day. During any other time, it would have just been a summer cold, but during a pandemic we all go to the worst-case scenario. Everything was fine, the test was negative. As we drove home, he said, “Dad, 2020 just stinks!” I asked what he meant, and he shared a list of cruddy things from baseball season being cancelled, not seeing friends, etc. He made good points, but I felt like we needed to turn this conversation into what is “good” about 2020. We are spending more time together, we have food in our cupboards and we are in good health. There are many more that are truly having a tough time with 2020 relative to us.
Making the connection to the school nutrition industry, it is easy to fall into the same “2020 stinks” loop. Again, not necessarily totally wrong. It has been hard…if not stinky! For our school nutrition partners they have faced a heap of challenges to meet the needs of their school communities while their budgets are taking an incredible hit. For members of industry, many of our challenges mirror those of our customers with increased inventories, reduced sales and blown budgets.
Taking some of my own advice, I want to share some of the “good” of 2020 from a school nutrition industry perspective. For most of us, this was an incredible time to develop closer relationships with our customers. Collectively, we had to be creative and resourceful to meet the evolving needs, whether it was an individually wrapped “whatchamacallit” or a new container for drive-thru meal service. For years, we have said that industry and our school foodservice n customers were partners--this was demonstrated in true fashion. We both need each other to remain viable.
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DID YOU KNOW
1,737 school nutrition programs reported serving an estimated 134,323,937 meals in April 2020 during COVID-19 closures. Learn more about how school nutrition operations showed up for the nation in SNA’s COVID-19 Impact on School Nutrition Report.
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SNA CALENDAR
Virtual Events
August-October 2020
October 26-28, 2020
November 17-19, 2020
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I would add another thing—more philosophical but to the point. At one point, over 14% of those in the U.S. were out of work. Never in my lifetime was there a larger need for school meal programs. Together with our school partners, we initiated the largest emergency feeding effort in history…overnight (or over a weekend). We could sustain these efforts due to the leadership of SNA communicating the needs of the membership (schools and industry) literally on an hourly basis to USDA. Resulting in flexibility, waivers and funding.
Yeah, 2020 can “fly a kite.” The challenge as we push forward is to determine for what we are grateful for in 2020. During this time, our industry came together customers/business/professional association to meet a need. It is the story that needs to be told and it is what we need to admire as we continue to forge into the future of what is becoming our COVID reality. Challenges still face us all as we look into this school year. Meeting these challenges with the optimism we demonstrated will further ensure success and continue to meet the increasing needs of our student customers.
Sincerely,
Sean Leer
SNA Industry Advisory Council Chair
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EXTENDED THRU OCTOBER! SNA’s 2020 Innovative Solution Sessions
Attendees and exhibitors are raving about SNA’s New Innovative Solutions Showcase—so we’ve extended the showcases through the end of October! Industry partners: You do not want to miss this unique opportunity to virtually present your innovative product solutions to operators. The Zoom platform is ideal for food and equipment demonstrations and screensharing for technology solutions. The cost to participate is $4,000. If you want to present more than one time during this time period, we will be happy to work out a package price for you. All presentations will be recorded and posted to SNA’s website for all members to watch on-demand and also sent to all registered attendees afterwards. Hurry and sign up to reserve your spot! Download the application form here.
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REGISTRATION OPEN: SNA’s Level I Fall Industry Boot Camp Goes Virtual!
Don’t miss SNA’s Fall VIRTUAL Industry Boot Camp Seminar – Level I
Register now for SNA’s Fall Virtual Industry Boot Camp session, November 17, 18 & 19, 2020. Industry Boot Camp is an intense educational seminar designed to help industry representatives new to school nutrition, and seasoned veterans, who want to brush up, or better understand the ins and outs of the school nutrition segment. Topics include school meal program basics, USDA regulations, menu planning, offer versus serve, reimbursement rates, trends in school feeding and more--and includes an overview of how COVID-19 has impacted these areas. Plus, you don’t want to miss the highlight of every Boot Camp Seminar— the Directors Panel—which includes some of the top Foodservice Directors in the nation (several representing districts in the top 100).
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NEW SPONSORHSIP OPPORUNITY! SNA’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Series Coming Soon (Oct. 1)
SNA is developing a long-term professional development training series to educate SNA members about diversity, equity and inclusion. This opportunity will provide practical tools and insights from experts to help school nutrition operators develop inclusive leadership skills and help team members feel welcomed, accepted and celebrated. The primary target audience will be directors and managers and the training series will also include one workshop for school nutrition employees and for SNA state leaders. The series will be hosted on SNA’s Training Zone and will also be recorded and available year-round. Sessions within the series will also be offered at SNA's Annual National Conference (ANC) 2021 in Chicago.
For more details, pricing and sponsor benefits, contact SNA Business Development Manager Nita Artis at nartis@schoolnutrition.org.
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SNA’s Fall Directors' Best Practices Conference: Coming Together to Feed Kids During a Pandemic
Don't miss this unique opportunity to connect with peers on the best ideas to feed kids in response to virtual and blended learning environments, staggered academic schedules and different service delivery models. Find out what's working, what's not and gain access to proven templates and practical ideas you can use. The series will be hosted on SNA’s Training Zone and will also be recorded and available year-round. Learn more!
Sponsor Benefits:
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Exclusive sponsorship opportunity for only TEN (10) sponsors at $5,000/ea. (5 slots remaining)
- Individual and exclusive sponsor page with the opportunity to upload videos highlighting product/service, PDFs, description and contact information.
- Five (5) complimentary registrations for your team to attend the conference and network with Directors.
- Sponsor/Logo recognition shared during breaks, email blasts, rotating housekeeping slides and registration page.
- Attendee roster with contact information to follow-up post-conference.
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More Partnership Opportunities: SNA Back to School (BTS) Webinar Series
This is a complex time for school nutrition programs and operators are looking to SNA’s Back to School Webinar Series to help them navigate feeding students with virtual and hybrid academic schedules, social distancing requirements and meals in the classroom.
Take advantage of this remarkable opportunity to partner with SNA! All webinars are recorded and hosted on SNA’s Training Zone, which over 18,000 participants/year have taken advantage of. Please contact us for more information!
Sponsor Benefits:
- Marketing reach through various newsletter and social media channels(exceeds 35K members).
- Logo included in marketing materials and featured at the beginning and end of each webinar.
- Option of introducing the speakers on each webinar.
- Include up to two questions on the post-webinar survey.
- A detailed analytics report approximately one-month post webinar.
If you are interested and would like more details, please contact SNA Business Development Manager Nita Artis at nartis@schoolnutrition.org.
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Call for 2021 SNA Election Nominations
The 2021 election nominations process is open and SNA is seeking nominees for the Industry Advisory Council Chair. We encourage you to nominate yourself or a colleague for this important position. Check out the SNA website at www.schoolnutrition.org/LeadershipOpp for information about the role as well as the digital nomination form. All paperwork is due Wednesday, September 30, 2020, so get your form in early! The Leadership Development Committee will meet in October to select the candidate slate for the 2021 election. The selected candidates will be announced in November and the election will be February 15-28, 2021.
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SNF Announces 2nd Annual $10,000 Golden Ticket Raffle
Could you use $10,000 right now? Buy your ticket for $100 or join your friends to buy a ticket together and split the winnings! Tickets go on sale at 8:00 am EST, September 15, 2020!
The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) is excited to announce the 2nd Golden Ticket Raffle! Don’t miss this exciting virtual event when we draw the winning ticket. Visit the SNF website www.schoolnutritionfoundation.org to purchase your ticket securely online. The SNF $10,000 Golden Ticket Raffle drawing will take place LIVE! at the School Nutrition Association headquarters in Arlington, VA after 200 tickets are sold. YOU win $10,000 and SNF receives $10,000 to provide more scholarships and education programs for SNA members.
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Help Feed School Kids NOW!
The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) created a national fundraising campaign in early March to help all school nutrition operators with their emergency feeding needs during the COVID-19 crisis. To date, 169 Spring Emergency Feeding Grants have been awarded. Each recipient also received two Professional Sealing Machines from Innoseal Systems. We also awarded 34 Summer Emergency Feeding Grants.
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Annual National Conference Reminders |
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ANC2021/Chicago Deposits Due by September 30
Booth sales for ANC 2021/Chicago are on hold until further notice. For those exhibitors that obtained expo-space, please remember to submit your 50% deposit by September 30, 2020. Contact SNA Exhibit Sales Manager Crystal Harper-Pierre at (800) 877-8822, ext. 140 or charper@schoolnutrition.org for further assistance or information.
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Legislative & Regulatory Update |
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USDA Extends SFSP/SSO Waivers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) extended all Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) waivers through as late as December 31, 2020, dependent on available funding. Read more in SNA’s press release.
SNA Urges Passage of School Meal Legislation
Safe and consistent student access to school meals this fall continues to be threatened by unprecedented challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. SNA urges passage of legislation to expand access to school meals during School Year (SY) 2020-21 and relieve crippling regulatory, operational and financial challenges for school meal programs. Read more.
SNA Hosts Call With USDA Deputy Undersecretary
When USDA declined to extend Summer Food Service Program/Seamless Summer Option (SFSP/SSO) waivers through next school year, SNA reached out to USDA to schedule an urgent conference call with SNA’s Board of Directors and USDA Deputy Undersecretary of Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, Brandon Lipps, to discuss the dire financial status of school meal programs. Read more.
Take Action: We Need Your Voice!
Please take a few minutes to sign SNA’s prepopulated letter to your legislators urging them to support critical school nutrition bills. Every message makes a difference! Take action now.
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