Post on 07-Dec-2021
Welcome!
Workshop: Innovative Sponsors & Sites: Creative Partnerships and Programming
Moderator: Sharon Johnson
Presenters:Anne Bogan, Bass River, Inc.Janice Knight, Boston Public Libraries – Codman Square BranchShamara Rhodes, Codman Square Neighborhood Council
Brief Introductions! (5 min) Presentation: Anne Bogan (15 min) Presentation: Janice Knight/Shamara Rhodes (15 min) Discussion/Questions (10 min)
Goals for this session:– Prospective sponsors can grasp how others have utilized partners and creative
approaches for their summer meals operation.
– Attendees can brainstorm new partnerships and joint programming ideas in their own community spaces that could boost participation.
Workshop Outline
2www.meals4kids.org
Bass River is a non-profit agency located on the North
Shore providing exceptional community based services to
persons with developmental disabilities
3 years ago we decided to give sponsorship a try…
– Salem was in need of sponsors for underserved &
unsponsored sites, and called upon community
partners for help
– Coincidentally, our new commercial kitchen at 335
Bridge St., had just opened and provided us new
opportunities for paid employment and vocational
training
Who We Are & Who We Serve
2www.meals4kids.org
Our unique staffing model
– By employing our program participants, not only do we
give another avenue of vocational training & paid
employment, but we are reinforce our ethos of
inclusivity in the community
– Our staff is hands-on throughout the entire process…
• Meal planning & resource gathering
• Food prep, weighing & packaging
• Delivery & clean-up
• Community outreach
Bass River’s SFSP Operations
3www.meals4kids.org
Sites used:
– 335 Bridge St: central kitchen & base of delivery
– Forest River Park (closed)
• City sponsored Parks & Rec Summer Camp
• 25-30 meals/day
• Outdoor, high energy
– Salem Public Library (open)
• Downtown
• Theme for the summer
• 15-20 meals/day
• Indoor
4www.meals4kids.org
Operations cont…
Please replace
image. Image should
be 4.37” wide with
flexible height
(maximum height
at 5.51”).
A successful operation should “lean in” to the community
By partnering with local organizations, we are able to
– Collaborate about ideas, events & concerns
– Defray cost & recruit new volunteers
– Outreach to underserved populations
Partnerships create FREE advertising for the program!
– Drive up interest, numbers at open sites
– Word-of-mouth advertising…
• a simple call to the Board of Health turned into a 20 minute call about relinquishing our T.A.R.D.I.S Shephard’s Pie recipe
• Our pizza bagel & grilled cheese entrees were served on Panera’s bread. It created quite a buzz with kids and parents alike!
Community Partnerships
5www.meals4kids.org
Department of Elementary and Secondary Ed (DESE)
– Available online portal contains critical information and blank forms
– Training events
Tabernacle Church UCC
– Ingenious idea of providing granola bars and water bottle to keep curious parents at bay
Bass River Day Program’s Rooftop Garden
– Grow your own (keeps cost down)
– Visited by our hungry kids
Project Bread
– Provided promotional materials, activity packs and prizes
– Awarded grants for promo events and tastings
– Educated site sponsors on food insecurity and income verification Q’s
City of Salem, Parks & Rec and Salem Public Schools
– Welcoming to Bass River and brought partners together
– Mentoring, training and support
– Outreach and On Site Promotion
• Stamp card program: Visit our meal site 10x and get a prize!
Teamwork is Essential
6www.meals4kids.org
Salem Public Library
– Volunteers staff by Tabernacle Church, UCC
– Field trip- local kids came by to tour our gardens and play games
– Utilized the “Summer Reads” Space theme and appropriated pop culture to peak interest
• Jedi Dogs (STARWARS)
• Kang & the Kodos Chicken Salad (The Simpsons)
• Dark Helmut’s Grilled Cheese (Space Balls)
• Menu presentation is just as important as the food itself. We eat with our eyes!
7www.meals4kids.org
Our Partner Sites
Please replace
image. Image should
be 4.37” wide with
flexible height
(maximum height
at 5.51”).
Forest River Park
– Our first kids of the summer
became our taste testers-
giving us tips on what does
or doesn’t work
– Park & Rec staff included
some teenagers, giving us
our most honest critiques yet
– Accommodating a GF lunch
was a cinch
• Our main entrée was as
attractive and adaptable as
possible. This helped save
time and cost
8www.meals4kids.org
Our Partner Sites
Please replace
image. Image should
be 4.37” wide with
flexible height
(maximum height
at 5.51”).
Anne Bogan, Business Manager
(978) 927-5326 x110
ABogan@bassriver-inc.org
Sara Osborn, Job Developer
(978) 741-594-4859
SOsborn@bassriver-inc.org
Contact info
– Codman Square Library -
Summer Eats site since
2018. In summer 2019,
served Lunch 12-2 pm and
Snack 4-5 pm, Monday –
Friday.
– Creative
Programming/Partnership
with senior library program,
Senior Arts and Smarts,
which meets year-round on
Tuesday mornings. Senior
Arts and Smarts started in
2015, as a way to engage
seniors in creativity.
Incorporating Existing
Library Programming with Summer Eats
2www.meals4kids.org
– Seniors were excited to work with the children who get summer meals at library.
During lunch early in the summer, the Senior Arts and Smarts group showed their
quilt projects and talked with the children about patterns and quilting history.
– Jewelry Making event – first of two Summer Eats and Senior collaborations, held in
July. Event started at 1:00, and seniors and children made similar style necklaces.
Event was led by local jewelry maker and the room was split between children eating
lunch, making jewelry with seniors, and playing board games with teens.
Programming Collaborations
3www.meals4kids.org
Flower Arranging Event
Senior Arts and Smarts members led
event in August. Event set up was
same as Jewelry Making and children
worked with seniors to organize silk
flowers into arrangements and took
their pieces home.
4www.meals4kids.org
Programming Collaborations
Please replace
image. Image should
be 4.37” wide with
flexible height
(maximum height
at 5.51”).
Summer 2020 plans – Add gardening
boxes event for Summer Eats and
Senior Arts and Smarts participants;
Summer Eats outreach at ice cream
social on last day of school and at
kickoff event in early July for
summer reading program.
– The Codman Square
Neighborhood Council is made up
of residents and community partners
seeking to improve living and
working in Codman Square.
– The Codman Square Market
started in 2009 with BOLD Teens
ensuring no more tobacco in the
stores, healthier eating in the local
corner stores and fresh foods every
week at the markets.
5www.projectbread.org
Codman Square Neighborhood Council
This past summer, BOLD teens collaborated with the Codman Square library to
cover more of a surface to engage with more residents in the community.
This partnership was special because a lot of the residents do occupy the library
on any given day. The activities that our BOLD teens were able to engage in with
different generations have taught them to be thoughtful, responsible and learn
new ways to interact with others.
6www.projectbread.org
Bold Teens & Codman Library Collaboration