Valley View Nutrition Services Named 'School Meals Hero'

BOLINGBROOK, IL — Valley View School District Nutrition Services has been recognized by Rise & Shine Illinois for its commitment to students, the district announced Monday. During the pandemic, the department ensured students were fed and ready to learn in spite of the challenges posed by the spreading virus.

Meghan Gibbons, the program's director, was specifically recognized a School Meals Hero 2021 award by Rise & Shine, whose mission is to help end childhood hunger, according to its website, for her efforts. But she said in a press release it wasn't a solo effort.

"While I proudly accept this recognition on behalf of our entire VVSD Nutrition Services team, it is their tireless work in serving the learners in our community that truly needs to be recognized," Gibbons said in a statement. "Our team demonstrated their resilience, adaptability, and dedication to serving our students and our entire community as a whole during the COVID-19 pandemic."

Hours after Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker closed schools due to the spreading virus in March 2020, the district's nutrition services organized a mobile meals program that began operating a week later. From the beginning, the Meals for Kids program distributed more than three million meals through January 2021, which was when students returned to school in-person.