We are all witnessing and living through one of the most challenging times in modern history. Like all of you, Brighter Bites is adapting to the new reality brought on by the coronavirus outbreak.
Brighter Bites COVID-19 Update on Nationwide Efforts
Keyword/Tag: DC
Meet our D.C. Staff!
Brighter Bites has an amazing team leading our program in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area!
Program Director Tara McNerney has lived in D.C. for nearly eight years and was thrilled to join Brighter Bites in November 2017. Her background in food, sustainability, and education prepared her to implement the Brighter Bites three-pillared program. Read Tara’s full bio here.
Program Coordinator Carolina Moppett brings to her role excellent skills as an educator and communicator. She is fully bilingual (her family is from Argentina and Uruguay), which is helpful to our team because many of our families in Prince George’s County speak only Spanish. Read Carolina’s full bio here.
Tara and Carolina are joined by part-time program associates Rajni Sood Laurent and Tamirra Glover. Rajni has a background in public health, education, and international affairs and has a deep passion for improving the health of Prince George’s County, where she resides with her family and sends her children to school.
Tamirra is an associate and part-time intern for Brighter Bites. She is studying for her master’s of science in health education and promotion at Marymount University in Arlington, VA, and is contributing to several projects benefiting our program while gaining on-the-ground experience with Brighter Bites.
Every Tuesday the whole team congregates at the Capital Area Food Bank’s (CAFB) warehouse and educational kitchen, where the team’s office is located. Tara and Rajni lead a group of CAFB volunteers in moving up to 10,000 pounds of produce to build the pallets for our schools that week — a true muscle-building task! Tamirra and Carolina are meanwhile in the CAFB kitchen preparing a recipe for families to taste test at our distributions.
David Washington, Ronald McLendon, Henry Davis, and Lorenzo Wright are four CAFB employees who work in the warehouse and contribute their time, care, and expertise in forklift operation to the Brighter Bites program. We could not do it without them!
Our family volunteers – too numerous to name individually – also make the program a success by bagging the produce once it arrives at the schools. Not only do they functionally make the program run, but they also make our Brighter Bites team smile with their enthusiasm!
Brighter Bites is so fortunate to have our team and partners working hand-in-hand to build communities of health in the nation’s capital and surrounding area. Visit our volunteer page to find out how you can pitch in!
By Tara McNerney, Program Director, Brighter Bites Washington, D.C.
Partner Highlight: Clagett Farm
Brighter Bites is fortunate to partner with so many amazing organizations across the country that share our mission of creating communities of health through fresh food. One such organization is Clagett Farm.
Clagett Farm is a community supported agriculture (CSA) farm in Upper Marlboro, Maryland run by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, a regional nonprofit that seeks to protect the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has developed Clagett Farm into an veritable outdoor classroom where local students have the opportunity to learn the principles of sustainable farming. For the past 20 years, Clagett Farm has partnered with the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C. to provide free and reduced-price, fresh produce to people living in poverty and near-poverty in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
Our partnership in Washington, D.C. with the Capital Area Food Bank led to an introduction to Clagett Farm, which began donating produce to Brighter Bites families this past July. Their weekly donations have made a significant impact on the amount of variety we have been able to offer our families. Since Clagett Farm began donating produce this past summer, Brighter Bites in D.C. has increased the number of different items we have been sending home with our families from eight varieties of fresh produce each week to eleven!
“The produce from Clagett farm has been some of the freshest produce Brighter Bites has distributed in Prince George’s County, said Tara McNerney, program director for Brighter Bites in Washington, D.C. “By partnering with a local farm that takes such care in growing their vegetables we’ve been able to provide our families with produce that is very appealing in appearance, taste, and smell — more than once we’ve heard comments about the delicious smells of the peppers and tomatoes!. Families appreciate the Brighter Bites bags even more when we tell them that the beautiful produce is coming from a local farm, and it adds to the community building nature of the Brighter Bites program.”
Clagett Farm produce went home with families at both of our summer sites, and this fall all five schools in Prince George’s County, Maryland are having the opportunity to taste it as well. Each week we have been wowed by the quality and variety of produce Clagett enables our families to take home and taste. Recently, families went home with sweet baby orange bell peppers that were popping with flavor. Over the summer, families tried many varieties of heirloom tomatoes, eggplants, beans, and okra. This fall, they’ll be able to sample a variety of greens and root vegetables donated by Clagett.
We want to extend the brightest of thank yous to our wonderful friends at Clagett Farm, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and the Capital Area Food Bank. We are so excited to continue creating communities of health through fresh food together!
Flower Power
At Brighter Bites, we love trying new fruits, vegetables, and…flowers?
That’s right…flowers! Thanks to our friends at Little Wild Things Farm, a local urban farm in Washington, D.C., many of our D.C. students tried edible flowers for the first time. Their donation allowed our students to learn about the great variety of edible plants that nourish our bodies and taste great too!
Whether garnishing a salad or topping a dessert, bright and beautiful flowers make excellent mealtime additions and can add a pop of color, flavor, and spice to any meal. But before adding flowers to your plate, make sure you’re familiar with which flowers are edible and which should be avoided.
For more flower inspiration, check out Little Wild Things Farm’s blog for tips on adding edible flowers and microgreens to your meals.
Big thanks to Little Wild Things Farm, Capital Area Food Bank, and The Coastal Companies Foundation for making this flower-power adventure possible!
Staff Spotlight: Tara McNerney
Meet Tara!
Tara McNerney is the Program Director for Brighter Bites Washington, D.C. Tara joined Brighter Bites in November 2017, inspired by the mission of Brighter Bites, its evidence-based and proven model, and the passion of all the Brighter Bites staff members she spoke to prior to joining the team!
Tara’s favorite part of the job is getting to work with so many different actors in the Brighter Bites system, including the Capital Area Food Bank, school administrators, families, and students. She also loves collaborating with other cities’ Brighter Bites program directors to learn from their experiences in other parts of the county.
Tara grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts, where she enjoyed competing in volleyball and track and field, and reading as many books as she could. After college, Tara moved to Sweden to complete her master’s degree in strategic leadership toward sustainability. She loved observing the Swedish culture and enjoying both Sweden’s beautiful countryside and sustainable cities.
Having lived in DC for a few years, Tara loves being surrounded by so many passionate and mission-driven people. She notes that DC is an ideal place to work if you want to change the world!
When she’s not on the job, you’ll most likely find Tara going for a run, playing volleyball, or working in her garden. If you’re in the area, she recommends checking out The Red Hen to try their fresh pasta or Busboys and Poets, a bookstore and cafe that supports and reflects the wonderful diversity of the DC community!
We are so excited to have Tara on our team and hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know her as much as we have!
Partner Highlight: Capital Area Food Bank and The Coastal Companies Foundation
Brighter Bites is so lucky to partner with amazing organizations across the country to create communities of health through fresh food everywhere we go. Two of these partners are teaming up with us in Washington, D.C. to bring Brighter Bites to Prince George’s County Public Schools. Learn all about our new friends in this partner spotlight!
Capital Area Food Bank
The Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) is the largest organization in the Washington metro area working to solve hunger and its companion problems, like chronic undernutrition, heart disease, and obesity. The CAFB is also dedicated to reducing food waste, promoting wellness, utilizing technological solutions, and being a hunger advocate. When Brighter Bites moved to DC to address such issues, our partnership with the CAFB was only natural! Learn more about the CAFB’s efforts to take hunger off the map here.
The Coastal Companies Foundation
The Coastal Companies Foundation was founded with the mission to “nourish our community” through nutrition, education, and good corporate citizenship, which it accomplishes by building community partnerships, sponsoring innovative service projects, and investing in people. Composed of operating businesses Coastal Sunbelt Produce, East Coast Fresh, and Cold Chain Logistics, The Coastal Companies Foundation is the three businesses’ joint way of giving back to their community. We are so excited to bring Brighter Bites and The Coastal Companies Foundation’s missions together to jointly serve Prince George’s County!
The Packer Reports Brighter Bites Expansion to DC
The Packer, a leading source for news, information, and analysis in the fresh fruit and vegetable industry, shared the details of Brighter Bites’ recent launch in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Read the full story here.
“Coastal Cos., Food Bank Partner with Brighter Bites in D.C.
By Daniel Vanderhorst
May 2, 2018
Capital Area Food Bank and The Coastal Cos. Foundation are partnering with nonprofit Brighter Bites to launch school-based programs giving families increased exposure to fresh produce in Prince George’s County, Md.
The new program aims to foster healthy eating habits by giving low-income children and their families fresh fruit and vegetables along with nutrition education materials.
“We know that food habits form early, and that those habits can impact health and well-being for life,” said Radha Muthiah, president and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank, Washington, D.C., in the release.
“We’re committed to working with our community’s schools to get good food — especially fruits and vegetables — into the hands of kids and families, which is why we’re excited by the Brighter Bites model and eager to see the impact that this partnership will have in Prince George’s County and beyond.”
The Brighter Bites programs will run in schools this spring and summer, distributing 80,000 pounds of produce and lots of nutrition education materials to 500 families and teachers at William Paca Elementary School, Cool Spring Elementary and several summer camps in Prince George’s County, according to the release.
Capital Area Food Bank and The Coastal Cos. Foundation will supply thousands of pounds of fresh produce, including warehousing and transportation services to support the initiative.
“When we learned that Brighter Bites was coming to the Washington, D.C., area, we knew right away it would be the ideal partnership for The Coastal Cos. Foundation,” Micah Brown, president of East Coast Fresh and executive director of The Coastal Cos. Foundation, said in the release. “Brighter Bites’ desire to provide kids and families with access to fresh, healthy food aligns perfectly with our Foundation’s mission to nourish our community.”
As part of the Brighter Bites program, parents and community volunteers pack bags of fresh produce items for families and teachers to take home free each week during three eight-week sessions. Each two-bag set has about 50 servings of eight to 12 different produce items, according to the release.
Prince George’s County is the sixth Brighter Bites program to launch after Houston, Dallas, Austin, New York City and southwest Florida.
The Coastal Cos. Foundation, established in 2012, coordinates the giving of The Coastal Cos. businesses: Coastal Sunbelt Produce, East Coast Fresh and Cold Chain Logistics.”
Press Release: Brighter Bites Expands to Washington, D.C. and Metro Area
Media Contact:
Stefanie Cousins
Stefanie.Cousins@brighterbites.org
919-360-4156
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington D.C. Area’s Food Bank Teams Up with Nutrition Education Nonprofit to Improve Access to Healthy Food for Students and Their Families
Capital Area Food Bank and The Coastal Companies Foundation help bring more fresh fruits and vegetables to families in Prince George’s County through a new partnership with Brighter Bites
Washington, D.C. (May 2, 2018) – Capital Area Food Bank and The Coastal Companies Foundation today announced a partnership with Brighter Bites, a nonprofit organization that helps create communities of health through fresh food, to launch school-based programs designed to increase exposure to fresh fruits and vegetables for families in underserved communities in Prince George’s County, MD.
Nearly 130,000 individuals in Prince George’s County, 22 percent of whom are children, lack consistent access to nutritionally adequate food, according to Feeding America. The new program aims to encourage healthy behaviors by providing low-income children and their families with fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as nutrition education materials, support of in-class health education, and healthy recipes.
“We know that food habits form early, and that those habits can impact health and well-being for life,” said Radha Muthiah, President and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank. “We’re committed to working with our community’s schools to get good food – especially fruits and vegetables – into the hands of kids and families, which is why we’re excited by the Brighter Bites model and eager to see the impact that this partnership will have in Prince George’s County and beyond.”
Brighter Bites will run programs this spring and summer that will provide 80,000 pounds of produce and thousands of pieces of nutrition education materials to approximately 500 families and teachers at William Paca Elementary School, Cool Spring Elementary, and selected summer camps in Prince George’s County. Brighter Bites plans to grow its presence to serve even more elementary schools and summer programs in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area in the coming years.
As part of the initiative, Capital Area Food Bank and The Coastal Companies Foundation will supply thousands of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables, warehousing, and transportation services to support the initiative.
“When we learned that Brighter Bites was coming to the Washington DC area, we knew right away it would be the ideal partnership for The Coastal Companies Foundation,” said Micah Brown, President, East Coast Fresh & Executive Director at The Coastal Companies Foundation. “Brighter Bites’ desire to provide kids and families with access to fresh, healthy food aligns perfectly with our Foundation’s mission to nourish our community. We are excited to see a transformation in the eating habits of the next generation and are thrilled to help make such a powerful impact.”
Since launching in 2012, Brighter Bites has distributed more than 16 million pounds of produce and 100,000s of nutrition education materials to 40,000 families through elementary schools, preschools, and summer camps. Brighter Bites uses a simple formula for introducing healthy lifestyles to families: produce distribution, nutrition education, and a fun food experience that includes sampling a recipe of the week to see just how great produce can taste. Parents and community volunteers pack bags of fresh fruits and veggies for families and teachers to take home each week during three eight-week sessions. Each free two-bag set contains approximately 50 servings of eight to 12 different produce items.
“Local partnerships are critical to the success of our organization and the impact we have on the communities where we work, said Samuel Newman, Executive Director of Brighter Bites. “We could not be happier to be partnering with two of the most trusted organizations in the region.”
Brighter Bites measures the outcomes of its program to determine impact. Research shows the Brighter Bites model provides consistent opportunities for children and their families to practice healthier behaviors in school and at home:
- 98% of Brighter Bites parents report their children eating more fruits and vegetables while participating in the Brighter Bites program.
- Of those, 74% said they maintained that increased level of consumption after Brighter Bites ended.
Children and parents participating in Brighter Bites reported a:
- significant increase in the amount of fruits and vegetables consumed;
- significant increase in serving more fruits and vegetables as snacks;
- two-fold increase in cooking meals from scratch, and a significant increase in eating meals together and serving more produce as part of those meals;
- two-fold increase in using nutrition labels to guide grocery purchases;
- and a significant decrease in added sugars consumed among children.
Prince George’s County is the sixth Brighter Bites program to launch after Houston, Dallas, Austin, New York City, and Southwest Florida.
About Brighter Bites:
Brighter Bites is a nonprofit that creates communities of health through fresh food with the goal of changing behavior among children and their families to prevent obesity and achieve long-term health. Brighter Bites is an evidence-based, multi-component elementary school, preschool, and summer camp program that utilizes reliable access to fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and consistent exposure to recipes and messages that feature fresh food. Since 2012, Brighter Bites has provided more than 16 million pounds of produce and 100,000s of nutrition education materials to more than 40,000 families and teachers in Houston, Dallas, Austin, New York City, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area, and Southwest Florida. To learn more about Brighter Bites visit www.brighterbites.org.
About Capital Area Food Bank
The Capital Area Food Bank is the largest organization in the Washington metro area working to solve hunger and its companion problems: chronic undernutrition, heart disease, and obesity. By partnering with 444 community organizations in DC, MD, and VA, as well as delivering food directly into hard to reach areas, the CAFB is helping 540,000 people each year get access to good, healthy food. That’s 12% of our region’s mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, and grandparents.
About The Coastal Companies Foundation
In 2012, The Coastal Companies and its operating businesses, Coastal Sunbelt Produce, East Coast Fresh, and Cold Chain Logistics, established a foundation to coordinate all giving. The mission of The Coastal Companies Foundation is to “nourish our community” through nutrition, education, and good corporate citizenship. The Coastal Companies Foundation accomplishes its mission by building community partnerships, sponsoring innovative service projects, and investing in people.