December 4, 2024

News World 24

worldwide online news

Day: March 22, 2023

Readout of National Security Advisor Sullivan, Secretary Austin and Chairman Milley Call with Ukrainian Counterparts
1 min read
Readout of National Security Advisor Sullivan, Secretary Austin and Chairman Milley Call with Ukrainian Counterparts

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley spoke today with Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, Minister of Defence Oleksii Reznikov, and Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi to discuss steadfast U.S. support […]

The post Readout of National Security Advisor Sullivan, Secretary Austin and Chairman Milley Call with Ukrainian Counterparts first appeared on Social Gov.

Chef Ann Foundation Signs a Cooperative Agreement With the USDA to Help Create a More Resilient, Equitable, and Nutritious School Food System
5 min read
Chef Ann Foundation Signs a Cooperative Agreement With the USDA to Help Create a More Resilient, Equitable, and Nutritious School Food System

Part of USDA's Healthy Meals Incentives, these sub-grants are designed to increase K-12 schools' procurement of local, higher-quality food items and scratch cooking

Chef Ann Foundation (CAF) has signed a cooperative agreement with the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) as part of the Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative.  An allocation of $7.8 million is provided to CAF as part of The School Food System Transformation Challenge. These funds will be used to build a sub-grant program to incentivize innovative partnerships between school districts, food producers, suppliers, distributors, and community partners to strengthen the availability and access to nutritious food products in the K-12 school food. 

"The pandemic shed light on the cracks in our food system, and school food teams have been burdened with supply chain issues. We need to help our schools and their regional food communities work together to empower local food production and distribution," said Mara Fleishman, CEO of Chef Ann Foundation.

In partnership with USDA FNS, CAF partnered with Gretchen Swanson Center for NutritionKitchen Sync Strategies, and the National Farm to School Network. These partners will ensure that the sub-grants will increase the offering of healthier food products in the K-12 school food marketplace; leverage innovative partnerships between School Food Authorities (SFA) and key stakeholders in their local food systems; expand SFA procurement capacity at the local and regional levels; and increase market opportunities for local growers and producers. The sub-grants will be developed with an eye towards cultivating equity, nourishing students, fostering a resilient supply chain, and creating scalable and sustainable change for SFAs across the country.

"Procurement, in particular, remains one of the most complex processes within school food service departments. SFAs are required to navigate sourcing ingredients that fulfill the mission of serving fresh, local foods while working within limited budgets, under-resourced producers, and strained supply chains," says Elliott Smith, co-founder of Kitchen Sync Strategies.

In order to effectively meet current standards, in addition to upcoming changes that align with the USDA Dietary Guidelines, school districts must be equipped with the network and resources necessary to achieve such requirements. Realistically, no SFA or individual business is capable of accomplishing such a complex universal goal without multiple strategic partnerships with other organizations, businesses, and agencies in their food economy. The sub-grants support the development of the hard and soft infrastructures needed to successfully increase access to nutritious and appealing foods for kids.

"USDA is taking a holistic approach to supporting school meal programs, which includes strengthening the food supply chain that supports them," said Stacy Dean, deputy under secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. "We're hopeful that these grants will accelerate and expand innovation in the school food marketplace, so that schools - and ultimately our children - have better access to healthier food products."

These initiatives are part of the Biden-Harris Administration's National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. The National Strategy provides a roadmap of actions the federal government will take to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases by 2030 - all while reducing disparities. The National Strategy was released in conjunction with the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in over 50 years, hosted by President Biden in September 2022.

About Chef Ann Foundation

Chef Ann Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to ensure that school food professionals have the resources, funding and support they need to provide fresh, healthy, delicious, scratch cooked meals that support the health of children and our planet. To date, the organization has reached more than 14,000 schools and 3.4 million kids with healthy school programming. Learn more at chefannfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition

The Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition (GSCN) is a nonprofit research institute providing expertise in measurement and evaluation to help develop and enhance programs focused on healthy eating and active living, food security, and local food systems. With expertise in public health nutrition, GSCN is dedicated to building measurement strategies to assess the impact of innovative health-related programs, which advance health equity. GSCN was founded in 1973, is headquartered in Omaha, NE, and has 44 team members across 24 states. 

About Kitchen Sync Strategies

The Kitchen Sync Strategies Collaborative (KSSC) is a team of consulting and brokerage companies that brings a combined 25+ years of farm-to-school and school food procurement experience. The members of KSSC - which include Kitchen Sync Strategies, Supply Change, and Shared Plate Strategies - have supported over 250 SFAs nationwide to procure food from socially disadvantaged producers and meaningfully impact the racial and economic equity in their region.

About National Farm to School Network

National Farm to School Network has a vision of a strong and just food system for all, and we seek deep transformation toward this vision through farm to school - the way kids eat, grow, and learn about food in schools and early care and education settings.

About USDA

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America's food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

About USDA Food and Nutrition Service

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of more than 15 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. FNS's report, "Leveraging the White House Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service," highlights ways the agency will support the Biden-Harris Administration's National Strategy, released in conjunction with the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.

Contact Information:

Danielle Chandler

Senior Marketing Coordinator

[email protected]

410-812-2948

Original Source:

Chef Ann Foundation Signs a Cooperative Agreement With the USDA to Help Create a More Resilient, Equitable, and Nutritious School Food System

Chef Ann Foundation Signs a Cooperative Agreement With the USDA to Help Create a More Resilient, Equitable, and Nutritious School Food System

The post Chef Ann Foundation Signs a Cooperative Agreement With the USDA to Help Create a More Resilient, Equitable, and Nutritious School Food System first appeared on Social Gov.

Blueprint Sports Announces Limited-Edition Drew Timme Merch as Zags Head to the Sweet 16
3 min read
Blueprint Sports Announces Limited-Edition Drew Timme Merch as Zags Head to the Sweet 16

The 'Timme 2K' collectibles honor his one-of-a-kind college basketball career

Gonzaga men's basketball team advances to their eighth straight trip to the Sweet 16 after ousting TCU last Sunday. Today Drew Timme, Gonzaga's All-American and WCC's Most Outstanding Player, releases a new limited-edition line of collectible merchandise. The release is supported by Zags Collective, the official Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) collective for Gonzaga student-athletes, powered by Blueprint Sports, the industry leader in full-service NIL collectives.

The "Timme 2k" line was designed in celebration of Timme's recent career milestone, surpassing 2,000 points scored and making him the third player in Gonzaga history to earn this record. Timme is also the all-time leading scorer in Gonzaga history.      

"We've worked with Drew on various NIL partnerships and are really excited about this new line of collectible items," said Matt Santangelo, former Gonzaga basketball player and General Manager of the Zags Collective. "As his collegiate career with the Zags culminates, we wanted to create a long-lasting and meaningful campaign that would make a mark in the history of Gonzaga athletics." 

Fans will have two ways to access this new line of collectibles. Only 2,000 "Timme 2k" collectible kits will be made available to the public for purchase. The package, priced at $60, includes a "Timme 2k" trading card, a Timme 2k t-shirt and headband. 

In conjunction, Zags fans looking to make an ongoing commitment to Gonzaga student-athletes can become members of the Zags Collective and receive a bonus 'Timme 2k Point Club' t-shirt. This exclusive fan collectible will display Timme's final points scored during his college career with the Zags, upon completion of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Additional membership benefits include events with Gonzaga student-athletes, autographed swag, and more. Members of the Zags Collective will also be eligible to win future premium Drew Timme autographed memorabilia. Membership levels start at $25/month.

"I am a big fan of the new "Timme 2k" brand concept and bringing it to all Zags fans," said Drew Timme. "Gonzaga has been my home for the last five years and I couldn't be more grateful for all the support from fans, alumni, and the Spokane community in general." 

The limited edition "Timme 2k" collectible items and the bonus membership merchandise will be available for sale starting on Tuesday, March 21 at zagscollective.com. 

About Zags Collective 

Zags Collective is a fan-driven and alumni-led Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective for Gonzaga University student-athletes, alumni, and fans. The mission of Zags Collective is to inspire and grow Gonzaga student-athletes as well-rounded people, to support the charities and nonprofits we partner with, and improve the community. In addition, community supporters gain access to exclusive events, autograph sessions, and more. Zags Collective is powered by parent company Blueprint Sports. For more information, visit zagscollective.com; follow @ZagsCollective on FacebookTwitter and Instagram

Contact Information:

Tommy Ferraro

Director of Public Affairs, The Ferraro Group for Blueprint Sports

[email protected]

(775) 331-4555

Related Images

Original Source:

Blueprint Sports Announces Limited-Edition Drew Timme Merch as Zags Head to the Sweet 16

The post Blueprint Sports Announces Limited-Edition Drew Timme Merch as Zags Head to the Sweet 16 first appeared on Social Gov.

Readout of National Security Advisor Sullivan, Secretary Austin and Chairman Milley Call with Ukrainian Counterparts
1 min read
Readout of National Security Advisor Sullivan, Secretary Austin and Chairman Milley Call with Ukrainian Counterparts

This week, the President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) held its Quarterly Business Meeting. They were welcomed by White House Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall.  Following their examination of cross-cutting critical infrastructure policy challenges, members discussed and adopted a forthcoming report to the President that identifies barriers to collaboration between critical infrastructure sectors on […]

The post Readout of the President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) Quarterly Meeting first appeared on Social Gov.