HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 01-20-2026; 12-7 - Information Item - Update on Orange County School Food Share Pilot Project ORANGE COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA
INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM
TO: Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Jonathon Smith, Cooperative Extension Director and Food Security Agent
DATE: January 5, 2026
SUBJECT: Update on Orange County School Food Share Pilot Project
In April 2025,the Orange County Food Security Agent with NC Cooperative Extension and
representatives of Orange County Solid Waste and Orange County Sustainability Programs first met to
begin discussing the feasibility of partnering with the County school districts to launch a food waste
diversion and re-service pilot project during the academic year to help increase food security among the
K-12 student population, allowing students to access more food during the school day from readily
available surplus at the conclusion of regular cafeteria meals.
Working with school system nutrition directors Sara Pitts (OCS) and Leslie Simmonds (CHCCS),five
schools have been identified as pilot locations for the project. Those schools are Carrboro Elementary,
New Hope Elementary, Grady Brown Elementary, A.L.Stanback Middle School, and McDougle
Elementary School. Each school received supplies and equipment in December and will be launching
their pilot projects in January 2026. The project team has one additional kit they are still trying to match
with an interested school.
Goals for the Food Share Pilot Program:
• Establish a food recovery program that re-services some foods not consumed by children in
school cafeterias by offering food collected at other times during the school day, by making
available at a centralized location, and/or distributed in other ways to help ensure less food is
wasted and no child goes hungry during the school day.
• Increase student involvement on a regular basis by addressing food insecurity in local schools.
• Reduce the amount of healthy, nutritious food that is wasted by being thrown away at the end
of the lunch period.
• Potentially save the schools money that would typically be spent on snacks.
What the Orange County Food Security Program has provided to each school
• Orange County Solid Waste will continue to provide compost carts and informational materials
on what can and should be composted.
• Orange County Cooperative Extension's Food Security Program will provide a rolling collection
cart with bins, a small refrigerator with clear door to store collected items that need cooling, a
thermometer for the refrigerator, a rolling pantry cart with bins to assist in distribution, a
baskets for dry packaged foods/fruits/condiments, and signage.
300 W.Tryon Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278 1 www.orangecountync.gov 1 919.245.2057
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ORANGE COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA
• Orange County Sustainability Program in partnership with the Food Security Program will
provide signage to assist students and staff with the food recovery share program steps and
guidelines.
• The County team will also be glad to assist each school in donating excess food not consumed by
the students or staff to a local food pantry.The goal is to minimize food waste as much as
possible.
Each participating school:
• Designates a Program Administrator to oversee the program, coordinate daily operations, and
manage volunteers or staff.
• Provides Daily Supervision by at least one volunteer to monitor the collection cart during lunch
or other meal times to ensure proper use.
• Appoints a Stocker to organize recovered food after meals, remove any ineligible or spoiled
items, relocate food to a centralized areal, and check and log refrigerator temperature daily.
• Conducts Weekly Maintenance
• Determines a Distribution Method
o Schools can choose how to share recovered food with students:
■ Place items in a designated area and inform teachers/students
■ Distribute as part of daily or weekly snack breaks, depending on quantity
Per The North Carolina Food Code definition of Food Establishment (1-201.10), staff and students are
being informed of the items that are allowable to collect and redistribute to other students and staff if
properly supervised to ensure packages remain untampered.
The project team will be meeting with the school coordinators throughout the coming year to assess
project impacts and needs that arise. Project feedback will inform whether or not the project will
continue and determine the necessary resources to expand to additional schools across the County.
300 W.Tryon Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278 1 www.orangecountync.gov 1 919.245.2057