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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThere is also the challenge of food shortages that are not only affecting grocery stores and restaurants but also school lunchrooms. Cardwell said that schools are way down on the list of priorities for manufacturers. There is also the issue ofbcost, she explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are also paying triple to quadruple more, for the same amount of food, than two years ago,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen we are not getting more reimbursement for the meals we serve but we are paying three to four times more, that eats up our money. And all of our money goes back into our program.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cardwell says the reimbursements they receive go to fund things like staff wages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEverything we get goes back into our program,\u201d she said. \u201cTo compensate our employees is something I strive for every single year. I strive for more raises because they work hard every day, and they care for these kids. We have a very low turnover rate, which I am very proud of that fact. I love our staff. We have a really rock-solid staff across the district, and they deserve to be compensated well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cardwell also makes it a priority to provide as much fresh product as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI also try to ensure the freshest product we can,\u201d she explained. \u201cWe do a lot of scratch cooking. We don\u2019t do a lot of pre-packaged foods. We still publish our menus through a site called Nutrislice. It gives pictures and nutritional content. Parents can plan with their kids. If there are food allergies, they can use those to help them educate the children to protect themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Cardwell and the food program face challenges, many great things are happening under her and her staff \u2019s watch. Things such as a food truck that was purchased during the height of the pandemic. The truck traveled to Tullahoma during the school\u2019s shutdown, delivering thousands of meals to students and the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Starvation Salvation Station ran the roads every day getting food to those who needed it,\u201d said Cardwell. \u201cShe ran from March to the start of school. Then we went out once a week, all of the last school year, to feed the community and all the school kids. We were able to feed over 400 kids a week outside of our school system. That was a huge blessing to get out and do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She added that while it was hot and the work was hard, she and her staff found the entire experience rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And this summer will be no different. The truck started going out to communities on Memorial Day, providing breakfast and lunch to students. Cardwell and her staff will also be available at several camps held in and around Tullahoma. GN<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For almost a decade, Angela Cardwell has worked tirelessly to make sure the bellies of the Tullahoma City School (TCS) students are full and well-nourished. The director of nutrition for TCS and a Tullahoma native, Cardwell, along with her staff, takes the job of feeding students to heart. \u201cI am the largest restaurant in town,\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":12704,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n