Grant bolsters fruit and veggie menu for students at pair of Roseland schools

In the Roseland neighborhood in southwest Santa Rosa, where families historically have struggled to access affordable fresh fruits and vegetables, schools have stepped up to emphasize the importance of providing wholesome meals and snacks, starting on campus.

To help meet students’ nutritional needs, state education officials announced this week that two elementary schools in Roseland will be getting a total of $6,000 to bolster supplies of fresh fruit and vegetables for students. The grant recipients, Roseland and Sheppard elementary schools, were among the 371 schools in the state to earn the federal grant, administered by the California Department of Education.

“It’s been a priority to ensure our students are getting what they need at least when they’re with us,” Roseland School District Superintendent Amy Jones-Kerr said.

Most of their students come from low-income families and may not always have access to fresh produce at home, she said. On average, 92 percent of the students are enrolled in free and reduced lunch programs.

The federal money will help the district continue to provide healthy foods at those schools, she said. They’re already serving up nutritious meals made by an Oakland-based company that specializes in organic foods. Kids get to munch on apples, pineapple slices and edamame throughout they day.

“It’s good food. And it’s made daily,” Jones-Kerr said.

Three elementary schools in the Roseland district, including the two grant recipients, have a combined annual food budget of $1.4 million. Schools in the district has earned the same grant support since 2011, Jones-Kerr said.

Countywide, last year, six elementary schools received a total of $15,000 under the grant program. Recipients included three schools in Roseland and three in the Bellevue district - Meadow View, Taylor Mountain and Kawana elementary schools.

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program was first authorized by Congress in 2002. California didn’t participate in the program until 2008.

More than 600 schools applied this year for the grant funding, which totaled $12.2 million, according to state education officials.

“This program takes a bite out of this kind of food insecurity, providing students with the healthy food they need to succeed in careers and college,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said in a statement.

In California, three out of five students are at risk of not having access to enough nutritious foods outside of their schools.

While access to fresh produce has been long been a problem in Roseland, county officials said they’ve seen some improvements in recent years.

The Sonoma County Health Services has partnered with Kaiser Permanente for nearly a decade to boost access to healthy foods and physical activity opportunities for families living in Roseland and south Santa Rosa. The county agency and health care provider have an ongoing project geared towards encouraging businesses to offer and highlight healthier food options, said Brian Vaughn, the county’s director of health policy, planning and evaluation.

When they first started about seven years, he said about 40 percent of the businesses offered access to enough fruits and vegetables. By the 2012, the number had jumped to half, he said.

“There has been a lot of emphasis in this area and we are starting to see results,” he said, adding that Roseland 5th graders are reporting seeing more vegetables and fruits at home.

Vaughn added that the federal Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program “builds off on all the work that’s happening there.”

You can reach Staff Writer Eloísa Ruano González at 521-5458 or eloisa.gonzalez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @eloisanews.