We are excited to announce that E.L. Haynes is now partnering with Luncheras DiSi to provide free breakfast, lunch, and snacks for every student through the 2022-23 School Year. Making sure that students are nourished helps them focus and can improve learning and overall well-being. After two years of researching new potential vendors, followed by a months-long selection process that included gathering input from students and families at all three campuses, we are pleased to announce that Luncheras DiSi, a local, Latina-owned food service provider, is our new partner at all three schools.
Last year we heard from our students that they were eager for meal options that reminded them of home, that kept them feeling nourished, and that fueled them for the school day. We are excited to partner with Luncheras DiSi because they partner with communities to create diverse and nutritious meals tailored specifically for them.
We took into account several factors when selecting our new meal provider, and we included students and food service staff in the selection process. These factors included nutritional value, taste and quality, the vendor’s past experience, cost, and whether they are a locally owned business. Last spring, we worked with the Community Purchasing Alliance to review new school meal vendors and invited interested providers to host a tasting at our Kansas Avenue Campus. Students from all three campuses participated and rated each vendor’s menu items. Luncheras DiSi was the clear favorite. Since launching the 2022-23 School Year, students at all three campuses are enjoying their meals and our partnership is off to a strong start.
“It felt really good to help choose the new food because now everybody is happy with it.”
Yessenis Brito-Moya, 5th-Grade E.L. Haynes Students
According to 5th-grade student Yessenis Brito-Moya, who has attended E.L. Haynes since 1st grade and who participated in the taste testing as a 4th-grade student last spring, “It felt really good to help choose the new food because now everybody is happy with it.” When asked to rate the nachos they ate earlier in the week on a scale of 1 to 10, a group of middle school students excitedly raised all of their hands into the air and exclaimed, “We rate them a 20!” At our high school, students have provided high praise for the new breakfast and lunch options.
Thank you to everyone who has helped bring these new meals to our school. From student leaders at all three campuses as well as members of the High School Intro to Black Law Club to staff organizing the taste tests and selection process, many members of our community contributed significantly to this process. For more information about nutrition at E.L. Haynes and to view upcoming menus, visit elhaynes.org/nutrition.