04 Jun Hot Lunch at Tiny Trees: Our Partnership With FareStart

By Andrew Jay, CEO

Childhood is hungry work. Here at Tiny Trees Preschool kids will be moving and active all day and in all-weather which can work up quite an appetite. That is why we are excited to work with FareStart to make sure every child in our full day programs enjoys a hot, nutritious lunch. Located in Downtown Seattle FareStart helps homeless and disadvantaged men and women train for jobs in the restaurant and hospitality industry and helps them to keep those jobs. In addition to their mission here are a number of tasty reasons we are excited to work with them:

• Every meal is cooked from scratch. No processed foods or “magic in a can” meals.
• Ingredients are locally sourced through partnerships FareStart has built with local farmers.
• Food menus are culturally responsive and reflect the ethnic diversity of the Seattle community. You can see sample menus here.
• Lots of vegetables used in creative and tasty ways: cauliflower or squash puree is added to sauces, vegetables to pizza crust. Overall the menu meets the new health and nutrition standards set by Michelle Obama’s Lets Move campaign.
• All meals are pork, nut and shellfish free.
• Meals can be made allergy free (no dairy, gluten, etc.) and vegetarian.
• The cost is $3.80 a lunch to be paid by families. For children receiving financial aid from the city or the state the cost of lunch will be covered – no cost to families.
• They deliver at all of our potential preschool sites in the Greater Seattle area (Shoreline to Burien and Seattle to Bellevue).

Our goal is to support working families. Lunch will be served at all full day sites (half day will end before lunch time) and will be an opt out system (i.e. you are automatically signed up for lunch if you sign up for full day but can opt out and pack your child’s own lunch each day if you wish). Allergy and food restrictions will be collected during registration and will be communicated to FareStart. We may add breakfast at schools in lower income neighborhoods and may have FareStart provide snack at all locations if that makes it easier for families and guarantees that all children have a healthy snack each day.

Food is fuel and with the busy Tiny Trees Preschool day our children will be ready to eat. We are excited to be working with FareStart to make sure they eat well.