Tess Diehl loves to feed people.
She shows that love every day as Leechburg Area’s food service director.
“I rather enjoy taking care of people through food and nutrition,” she said.
During her second year at the district, Diehl has combined her creativity, passion and knowledge of nutrition to create a space where students can be well-fed and educated about what they’re putting in their bodies.
These efforts have helped Leechburg Area garner recognition from the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
Superintendent David Keibler announced the district earned a bronze award for the 2024 Child Hunger Hero Award from the food bank during the school board meeting Wednesday night.
The award committee looks at programs that school districts offer to help students stay nourished outside school hours. Leechburg Area offers free breakfast and lunch and weekend meals for students who need them.
Keibler said students from the middle and high schools’ life skills classes help to pack food bags and distribute them to students for the weekend meal program.
“(The award) is an outstanding recognition for them and what they do,” Keibler said.
He added that Diehl’s efforts to bond with students is a reason the district’s free breakfast and lunch program has been successful.
“She’s done a nice job,” Keibler said. “She’s done a nice job connecting with the kids.”
Diehl has been in food service management for 15 years. She made the transition from working with food management in hospitals to school districts with Metz Culinary Management more than a year ago.
In an attempt to collaborate with the students, Diehl hosted a tasting with a Metz Culinary dietitian for the fifth grade student council members in 2023. The students were able to try new menu options to decide which would become permanent fixtures.
“We handed out information to the kids, and they each got samples,” Diehl said. “It was a blast. The kids loved it.”
The students were able to ask the dietitian questions and fill out surveys. They presented their findings at a school board meeting.
In addition to events like this, Diehl has started initiatives such as “Try It Tuesday,” where students can get samples of new menu items. Sometimes the samples go along with the cafeteria’s “monthly nutritious friend.” This is a certain vegetable or fruit that Diehl picks to promote to students and makes a point to serve it on the menu or hand out free samples of it at least once that month. This month is cranberries. Students will get to try sweet potatoes in December.
To build a healthy relationship between students and the food they consume, Diehl edits each initiative to fit the target age group.
“This is all (kindergarten) through 12 (programming). I just may present it differently,” Diehl said.
For the monthly food, sometimes Diehl and her team will set up a table and speak with younger students who have questions about the food. For older students, they put up signage with facts and speak with students as they move through the lunch line.
To encourage older students to get lunch and breakfast — which are free to all students — Diehl created “lucky tray days” and “golden ticket breakfast.” If students end up with a lucky tray or golden ticket, they can win prizes.
Diehl said the numbers of students eating the school’s breakfast and lunch are rising.
“I selfishly want every single kid to come through my line and get a free lunch or a free breakfast,” Diehl said.
Keibler said the school will continue to serve the students while they’re in school and out.
“A warm, healthy meal is a need,” Keibler said. “Any way we can help, we’ll figure out what we can do.”
Added Diehl: “We’re going for gold next year.”