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![This photo from December 2019 features (from left) Robert Rolfe, former HCPS superintendent Bo Caldwell and Brian and Gina Grossman. Through the Grossmans' donation to the Henderson County Education Foundation, the HCPS Child Nutrition Department provided more than 3,500 meals to children facing food insecurity during the 2019 winter break. Called the "Comfort Food" initiative, this was a precursor to the expanding the district's "Meals on the Bus" mobile feeding program in 2020 to serve students during the pandemic.](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2022/05/04/NHTN/f68ba6f1-d183-4a5e-8970-4aefd82e5574-Robert_Rolfe_DOY_SE4_1.jpg?width=660&height=440&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
For the previous a number of years, Henderson County Public Faculties Vitamin Director Robert Rolfe has been behind the scenes, going above and past to verify college students are supplied with dietary meals.
Now, he is being acknowledged for all of his laborious work, and that recognition is not simply domestically and even regionally — it is nationwide. The nationwide non-profit College Vitamin Affiliation (SNA) introduced just lately its yearly awards, and Rolfe earned the group’s high honor, as he was named the SNA’s Vitamin Director of the Yr for 2022. In line with a press launch, the award acknowledges the extraordinary contributions of faculty vitamin administrators who handle efficient college meal packages offering wholesome, appetizing meals to college students.
Rolfe was nominated by his bookkeeper, Stephanie Corridor, with assist from his administrative employees, he mentioned. He not solely was named the Nationwide Director of the Yr… he was additionally the State and Area Director of the Yr. After successful the regional award, Rolfe mentioned he was hopeful to win the nationwide award.
“At first I used to be hesitant as a result of the Nationwide College Vitamin Affiliation rep had referred to as me two days earlier than to inform me of the regional award. So I assumed, I already know this,” he mentioned. “However then I heard the title ‘nationwide’ once more and realized this was on a a lot grander scale.”
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Rolfe has been a direct asset to the group since beginning with Henderson County Public Faculties. In 2017, he helped roll out a summer time meals program that now serves college students at a number of college websites and from two buses with 22 “Meals on the Bus” stops in the neighborhood. Through the summer time of 2020, the district had a number of college websites open and expanded its “Meals on the Bus” routes to feed college students throughout the pandemic.
“We’re tremendous honored for him to obtain this award,” Henderson County Public Faculties Superintendent John Bryant mentioned. “He is such a deserving one who at all times appears to be like out for everybody else. Through the peak of the pandemic in 2020, he made certain that there have been no college students or households going with out meals throughout that troublesome time.”
In line with the SNA press launch, Rolfe utilized for a number of grants to buy cellular serving carts used for Second Probability Breakfast at a few of the center and excessive faculties.
“The Meals on the Bus program was began as a solution to develop our summer time feeding. We had been wanting on the idea for a number of yr previous to getting it off the bottom. We had been lucky to obtain beneficiant native donations that enabled us to buy and renovate the bus. We’ve expanded to 2 buses now, he mentioned.
“We instantly noticed the chance to make the most of these buses to get meals to needy households remoted due to the pandemic. Since we had the expertise of summer time feeding, we had been in a position to manage and roll the buses in early April 2020. Together with grab-and-go meals handed out on the faculties throughout that point we served 34,000 breakfast and lunch meals month-to-month.”
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His objective is to develop this system to all of the district’s faculties. He has been in a position to enhance participation within the lunch program at two of the excessive faculties by including a preferred pizza choice.
The meals service enterprise has been his life, Rolfe mentioned, and he is received a number of awards for his work.
“I’ve been in meals service for 48 years. My first job in highschool was as a dishwasher. I labored my manner as much as the place of Government Chef in non-public golf equipment, lodges, eating places and nation golf equipment from Minnesota to Florida, Georgia and at last North Carolina.
“Across the age of 40 I returned to school part-time to pursue a level in Vitamin and Dietetics. Quickly after graduating from WCU I used to be provided a place as Youngster Vitamin Supervisor with Henderson County Faculties the place I’ve now been for 14 years. I used to be promoted to Director of College Vitamin Companies eight years in the past.”
By teaming up with an area group, Rolfe inspired composting at six of the district’s elementary faculties. The district works with the Recent Fruit and Vegetable Program and when the finances permits, Rolfe encourages an introduction of unconventional vegatables and fruits to the elementary college students, the press launch mentioned.
He has additionally been hands-on with the planning and improvement of three new kitchens within the county’s faculties. Rolfe is an lively member of each the College Vitamin Affiliation of North Carolina (SNA-NC) and SNA. He at the moment serves as Vice President of his native chapter.
“Robert Rolfe is a profitable chief who has constructed robust relationships throughout the college district and is at all times open to new concepts. Bringing interns into his district’s kitchens exhibits his dedication to mentor future youngster vitamin professionals,” mentioned SNA President Beth Wallace, MBA, SNS within the press launch.
Rolfe was introduced because the Nationwide Director of the Yr throughout a College Lunch Hero Day (SLHD) on-line awards ceremony on Could 2. As a nationwide award winner, Rolfe will obtain an all-expense paid journey to be acknowledged at SNA’s Annual Nationwide Convention in Orlando in July. The accomplishments of Rolfe and all of this yr’s SNA award winners can even be acknowledged in a particular publication and promoted in SNA’s annual SLHD social media marketing campaign on Fb.com/TrayTalk and TrayTalk.org.
Bryant mentioned Henderson County Public Faculties can even be celebrating Rolfe’s award.
“We’re planning to honor him in a while this month and we may have a proper recognition of Rolfe at our June 13 College Board assembly,” Bryant mentioned.
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