December 28, 2016

United Fresh donates salad bars to Indiana school district

The United Fresh Start Foundation donated salad bars to all schools in the School City of East Chicago district. The donation is an effort to “promote overall good nutrition and help limit the absorption of lead by children in East Chicago.” The school district in the East Chicago, Indiana community serves more than 4,600 students. These seven schools will launch their new salad bars in January of 2017:

1. Washington Elementary School
2. Carrie Gosch Elementary School
3. Harrison Elementary School
4. Lincoln Elementary School
5. McKinley Elementary School
6. Joseph L. Block Middle School
7. East Chicago Central High School

“Good nutrition plays a pivotal role in helping to limit the body’s absorption of lead. Increasing consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially those that are sources of calcium, vitamin C and iron, is critically important for children exposed to lead,” said Lorelei DiSogra, vice president of nutrition and health, United Fresh Produce Association.

The United Fresh Start Foundation, a founding partner of the national Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative, became aware of the lead contamination issues in East Chicago from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service Midwest Regional Office. This action represents one small part of an overall response by USDA, federal, state and local partners to address the lead contamination in East Chicago. The foundation had previously donated salad bars to 22 schools in Flint, Michigan.

The United Fresh Start Foundation and Chicago-area produce companies, JAB Produce, Strube Celery & Vegetable Company and The Tom Lange Company donated the funds to provide the salad bars to the seven East Chicago schools.





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