Buffalo City School District has won a $5,000 Best Practices-Award from the USDA and the New York State Office of General-Services (OGS), to be used towards the purchase of new food service equipment. New York is the only state in the nation to give Best Practices Awards in recognition of innovation and creativity in using government commodity foods as part of a successful school lunch program.
BCSD won the award for its use of the Internet to quickly disseminate recipes and helpful hints amongst the district's food service managers, cooks, and staff. All of the tools needed to create a themed luncheon are made accessible on the Internet so any food service program can access and use them, allowing students across the district to share the experience. The initiative also helped enhance menus and increase lunch participation.