Duneland Schools Food Services has partnered with the Westchester Neighbors Food Pantry in Chesterton to distribute unused/uneaten food items. To help reduce the amount of food waste, Duneland has "Share Tables" at their schools. The food shared, may be unopened cartons of milk, packages of crackers, pre-wrapped muffins and containers of yogurt along with fresh bananas, oranges and wrapped apples. Students who don't want these items, place them on a central table in the Cafeteria. During lunch, students may take and consume food off this table. What is not consumed by the end of lunch, the Westchester Food Pantry can come and pick up and distributes it to people at the Food Pantry.
Share Tables are regulated by the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) that adhere to all Federal, State and County guidelines. "We have seen an incredible increase in waste since the new USDA guidelines came into effect. Students MUST take a fruit or a vegetable on their tray in order for it to qualify as a school lunch in the NSLP, even if they don't want it," stated Kay Nallenweg, director of Food Services for Duneland Schools. "Now students have an option to put items they don't want to eat on the table, so we are happy that someone gets to eat the food that they would normally discard."
“The Westchester Neighbors Food Pantry is especially grateful for these food items,” said Dawn Ruge, volunteer for the Pantry. A group of volunteers, organized by Patricia Carraci and Dawn Ruge, pick up the food from the individual schools and deliver it to the Pantry for distribution.