Office of Nutrition and Food Services PDC: “Our Time to Shine”

Graphic by Matt Montgomery

The Office of Nutrition and Food Services held its annual Professional Development Conference (PDC) in Athens on October 1-3, 2018. Food service managers and staff from 26 DJJ secure facilities attended the conference to receive training on nutrition guidelines and policies, planning for special diets, and food safety. Attendees also took part in a wellness walk around the University of Georgia’s campus, and fun team-building exercises.

“We genuinely look forward to our PDC as a time to connect, share, and learn together,” said Chief Nutritionist Stephanie Henesy. “We strive to make our conferences relevant and valuable for our dedicated food service management team so that they can continue to provide confidently superior service to the youth in our care.”

The Nutrition and Food Service leadership team presented multiple awards to food service teams who went above and beyond their duties:

Aaron Cohn RYDC - Obtaining a score of 100% on all ACA food service standards and exemplifying an exceptionally clean and organized kitchen

Atlanta YDC - Persevering through extended critical staffing and working together as a team to provide uninterrupted service to the youth

Augusta RYDC - Adhering to special diet menus and ensuring youth safety through preparation and service of correct food items

Augusta YDC - Successful development of food service team for succession planning and working together through staffing shortages to provide uninterrupted service to youth

Bob Richards RYDC - Obtaining 100% scores on six consecutive health inspections and maintaining an exceptionally clean and organized kitchen

Claxton RYDC - Successfully passing the OCI audit exemplifying adherence to policy, record keeping, and kitchen safety and sanitation practices

Crisp RYDC - Completing the OCI audit with a score of 100% on food service standards

DeKalb RYDC - Working together as a team to accomplish common goals

Elbert Shaw RYDC - Obtaining the first and only 100% on the administrative audit of SY17‐18, exemplifying outstanding adherence to DJJ, USDA, ACA, and DPH regulations and policies

Eastman RYDC - Persevering through extended critical staffing and working together as a team to provide uninterrupted service to the youth

Eastman YDC - Successfully implementing a youth detail program in the kitchen and providing exceptional service during the hurricane season

Gainesville RYDC - Persevering through extended critical staffing and working together as a team to provide uninterrupted service to the youth

Loftiss RYDC - Successfully passing the OCI audit exemplifying adherence to policy, record keeping, and kitchen safety and sanitation practices

Martha K. Glaze RYDC - Improvement of kitchen safety and sanitation practices

Macon RYDC - Working together as a team to accomplish common goals

Macon YDC - Working together as a team to accomplish common goals and exemplifying exceptional communication

Marietta RYDC - Maintaining a high standard on kitchen safety and sanitation and development of new team members

Metro RYDC - Working together as a team to accomplish common goals

Milledgeville YDC - Successful completion of a month‐long trial of DOC meals and implementation of a new menu based on youth feedback

Muscogee YDC - Completing two wellness events and obtaining 100% on all ACA food service standards

Rockdale RYDC - Obtaining a score of 100% on all ACA food service standards and exemplifying an exceptionally clean and organized kitchen

Savannah RYDC - Persevering through extended critical staffing and working together as a team to provide uninterrupted service to the youth

Sumter YDC - Successfully passing the OCI audit exemplifying adherence to policy, record keeping, and kitchen safety and sanitation practices

Terrell RYDC - Improvement in following recipes and paperwork completion while upholding kitchen safety and sanitation standards

Waycross RYDC - Working together as a team to accomplish common goals and exemplifying exceptional communication

Wilkes RYDC - Successfully opening a new facility and working together as a team through staffing shortages to provide uninterrupted service to the youth

DJJ’s Food and Nutrition Services include:

• Breakfast, lunch and after-school wellness as a participant in the USDA National School Meal Program.
• The Choose My Plate (food pyramid) features zero trans-fats, whole grains, and improved fruit and vegetable standards. DJJ does not serve fried foods and has increased fresh items over canned, high-sodium products.
• Participation in the USDA Wellness program - healthy after-school snacks during a wellness lesson.
• Monitoring all applicable requirements of the federal School Nutrition Program - provision of required menus, use of USDA food commodities, meal counts and reimbursement to DJJ.
• Staff training/technical support in food safety, sanitation, and clinical care and treatment.
• Implemented an annual menu rollout meeting for food services staff with food demonstrations, taste tests, and recipe reviews.