A Message from SNA-NH President Joyce Liebl ...     November 2008

We are about 1/3 of the way through the school year and what a school year it is turning out to be. Increasing food prices and a faltering economy top the list. We are all struggling with food costs and it is a tough job to put out the high quality meals the students and parents expect with the limited resources that we have available - but somehow we make it happen.

A political person I am not, however, this is the year that Congress will be looking at Reauthorization of Child Nutrition Programs. It is important that ALL of us be involved in this process. We are the grassroots of feeding children; after all, we do it every single school day. Who better to educate those in Washington than us! Go to the SNA website, http://www.schoolnutrition.org click on Legislative Action. There are many resources on the site to help all of us understand the complexity of the issues and what we need to do to help. Through e-mail updates, I will be letting all the membership know of the bills Congress is considering and the ways that you can help – usually as easy as an e-mail. SNA has templates set up; all you will need to do is click and send! PLEASE, it will take all of us to get heard. SNA is keeping track of each state’s participation – let’s put NH up there, near the top.

The Legislative Action Conference that is held annually in Washington, DC every March should be very interesting this year and the delegation from New Hampshire is going to need information from all of you to present to our Congress men and women. We will need school districts cost per meal, cost to prepare a Special Needs meal and the increase that you have seen in free/reduced price meals in your district. I will send out e-mail reminders as we get closer.

I have GREAT news!! Pat Laska has been certified as a Healthy Edge trainer!! In addition, SNA has changed some of the regulations concerning the administration of the credentialing exam so we will be able to offer it here in NH. Both of these are fairly new events so the Board has not had an opportunity to discuss them. Stay tuned for further developments!

Be Well

Joyce M. Liebl, RD, LD, SNS
SNA-NH President