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Nutrition Program Bulletin – Week of July 4, 2022
Each section contains updates relevant to those nutrition programs. You can jump to the section by clicking the link.
All Nutrition Programs
Revised Nondiscrimination Statement
On May 5, 2022, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a memorandum on Bostock v. Clayton County and its impact for Child Nutrition Programs. The memorandum explains that effective immediately, discrimination on the basis of sex includes sexual orientation and gender identity. This change impacts processing program complaints, the nondiscrimination statement and the And Justice for All poster.
What Sponsors Need to Do:
- By August 3, 2022: If your website and/or any website documents include the nondiscrimination statement, they must be updated to include the complete revised nondiscrimination statement.
- By September 30, 2023: Printed documents, pamphlets and brochures containing the nondiscrimination statement must be updated when the current supply is exhausted or by September 30, 2023.
- USDA is updating the And Justice for All posters to include gender identity and sexual orientation as protected bases.
- Watch for more information in our bulletin about ordering new And Justice for All posters when they are available.
- Do not remove current posters until they are replaced with the new poster.
- If you need posters prior to new posters being available, order them from Nutrition Program Services (NPS). Note that the current posters dated September 2019 will be sent until the supply is exhausted or until updated posters are available from USDA.
- Use NPS’s Civil Right Complaint Procedure template to develop a required written Civil Rights Complaint procedure.
During the transitional period for this change, sponsors will not be cited for not having the most current nondiscrimination statement during an administrative review. However, once the time period has elapsed, sponsors will be cited for non-compliance if the updated nondiscrimination statement is not used or if sponsors cannot demonstrate a plan to make the required updates.
Policy update information including questions and answers are available on USDA’s Civil Rights Division webpage and timelines and guidance for implementation are in the guidance document.
Summer Food Service Program
Turnip the Beet Award 2022
Does your Summer Meal Program work hard to offer high-quality meals that are appetizing, appealing and nutritious? The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would like to recognize your hard work with the Turnip the Beet Award. Sponsors can apply by completing the short Turnip the Beet application form and submitting a one-month menu with a photo to Samantha Burington by August 31, 2022. For more details, check out the Turnip the Beet Award 2022 one-pager on the Summer Food Service webpage.
Opportunities from Our Partners
Grant Funding Available to Support Food Access for Youth
The Child Hunger Program at Second Harvest Heartland is pleased to offer a Fall 2022 grant opportunity to increase access to food and nutrition resources for Minnesota youth and their families by:
- Boosting participation and enrollment in Federal Nutrition Programs (e.g., school meals and SNAP)
- Increasing access to community food programs and resources (e.g., school food pantries, distributions, and weekend food bag or backpack programs)
Public school districts, authorized charter schools, and IRS 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community organizations that operate child hunger initiatives in Second Harvest Heartland’s Minnesota service area counties are eligible to apply.
See Fall 2022 Request for Proposal (RFP) for more details on eligible use of funds and how to apply. Application closes on Monday, August 1, at 11:45 p.m. CT. Funds will be awarded by the end of September.
If you have any questions, please contact your Child hunger staff person or email Nancy Jiang (njiang@2harvest.org).
Stay up to date on grant opportunities, community food resources, school meals, and more by subscribing to the Child Hunger Digest.
Prevention of Wasted Food and Food Rescue Grants
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is excited to announce the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Prevention of Wasted Food and Food Rescue Grants. These grants provide financial assistance to programs that help prevent food from being wasted and/or promote food rescue (food-to-people). Composting and food-to-animal programs are not eligible for this grant funding. The deadline to apply is August 11, 2022. To learn more, visit the MPCA website.
