Empower Community School

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At Empower Community School, we are committed to our students’ health and wellness.

Research shows that healthy students are better able to pay attention in class and better positioned to succeed in school and in life. The goals of our food program are to:

Support the academic success and achievement of our students
Provide nutritious meals which allow students to maintain focus
Provide healthy and fresh food offerings along with education on making healthy choices
Expose our students to new culinary experiences while still offering “kid favorites”

All stakeholders are able to participate in the development, review, update, and implementation of the Local School Wellness Policy. Please contact the school office at (205) 413-8600 for more details.

Student Meals

All Empower students are offered healthy, nutritious meals including breakfast and lunch through the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs.

Empower Community School participates in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, which a meal at breakfast and lunch to every enrolled student at no charge.

At the start of each month, lunch menus will be available at the main office or posted in the cafeteria.

Meals are planned with student preferences in mind and follow the regulations of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program.

Healthy School Meals contain:

Lean protein
Whole grains
Fresh Fruits or 100% Fruit Juice
A variety of vegetables
A choice of milk

Meals are calorie controlled, low in sodium, contain less than 10% saturated fat and 0g of trans fat.

NOTE: A student may also choose to bring in his/her own meals; however, all foods must adhere to the Wellness Policy. Students are not permitted to bring in foods that are unhealthy or high in sugar including:

candy
soda
energy drinks
donuts
cupcakes
chips
salty snacks
candy bars

Additionally, students are not permitted to bring food that requires any preparation, such as heating or cold storage.

Fruits

Allergies

If your student has any food allergies or needs a meal accommodation, families are required to notify the school nurse and provide documentation from a doctor. Click here to download and print the required Diet Prescription for Meals at School. Return completed forms to the school. Diet Prescription forms must be renewed annually.

USDA Non-discrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: USDA - Complaint Form, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

mail:
S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
email:
intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Empower Community School, in our efforts to ensure compliance with federal civil rights regulations related to School Meal programs will attempt to collect race and ethnicity data of applicants and participants.

The purpose of this data collection effort is to determine how effectively School Meal Programs are reaching potentially eligible students. Responses have no effect on eligibility.

Responses are voluntary and will be kept confidential. Responses, or the lack thereof, will have no effect on eligibility.