Children at Desert View Intermediate School got a special treat. They were given play money to buy real produce at a farmers market.

“This was the brainchild of Ian (Klay) and she was able to get a farmers market partnership with St. Mary's Food Bank,” said Corey Hanson, area director for Chartwells. The difference between a regular food bank, where they just donate some food, is she's really targeting the kids instead of the family or the parents for the food distribution. So, she partnered with Page Unified School District (PUSD) to help make sure that the kids have an educational piece. So, the kids get money. They're learning all the different types of things that come into budgeting or making grocery lists or how to price different things, and then they come, and they get to spend their money at the farmers market.”

In her first year as Director for Chartwells K12, a food service management company, Ian Klay has made a difference. On Aug. 21, after months of planning, organizing and connecting all the dots, her project came to life. Klay developed a partnership with St. Mary’s Food Bank to provide fresh fruits and vegetables.

PUSD Superintendent Dr. Bryce Anderson was on hand for the event. “I am so grateful for this type of activity with our young students coming out and being able to apply what they're learning in the classroom, having to deal with money, having to identify with that money, how far it goes, and then on top of that, providing them with a nutritious opportunity,” said Anderson. “All of these are fresh fruits and vegetables that they can take into their home as well, and it's a positive thing for their families.”

“The farmers market started last year,” said Klay. “We did one farmers market only. Originally the plan was for us to get rid of our produce, excess produce, before spring break. And that's where the idea came from, because I don't want to waste produce. Ideally, what the cafeterias have done in the past was they would donate excess produce to the food bank. So, then I thought, ‘Well, the district's already paying for the produce. Why not give them back to the kids?’ This is how the farmers market came about. I wanted to continue the program, but how are we going to budget for that money without having to bill the district? This is when the partnership for St. Mary's Food Bank came about. Altogether, with the planning and training, [it] took about six months.

“This is the first distribution. So, what St. Mary's Food Bank would like for us to do is do two distributions every month and rotate them for each school. So, it won't just be for one school, but it will be for all schools starting this month. The next month will be Lakeview and then high school and middle school. And then it goes back again to Desert View.”

“[Klay] had to be certified through St. Mary's Food Bank so that they could deliver and continue this process,” said Hanson. “So, it's not just, ‘Hey, we've got some extra produce, we're dropping it off.’ She went through the entire steps and process to become certified for the food bank.”

“So it's very easy,” said Klay. “You just have to file the paperwork, make sure that all of the staff are there during the training and then obviously, it should not cost anything to the district. So that's the most important part. So it is free produce to the district and to the kids. The only thing that we're spending on is our time and labor.”

Klay’s previous experience prepared her for the certification.

“It's just like, you know, certifications, like the civil rights and food handling and all of those come second nature because we already have those existing within our cafeterias,” said Klay. “And the good thing about it is it doesn't have to be in a farmers market form. You know, the district can always just receive produce whenever they'd wish to so long [as] someone's requesting for it. It's just a matter of sorting them, how many pallets we want to receive and stuff like that.”

Six pallets of fruits and vegetables were delivered to Desert View Intermediate for the event. Klay said any items remaining would be available to all employees of the school district.

“Whoever wants them, then they can have it,” said Klay. “And it's for everyone.”

Chartwells Dining Services is a national organization based in Charlotte, North Carolina and has over 15,000 associates in 4,000 schools across the country, including large public institutions, small charter schools and private schools.