Congresswoman DeLauro visits FoodCorps School in Connecticut

By Cassandra Day, Middletown Press

Middletown, Connecticut — Bright and chatty Macdonough Elementary School students filed into the cafeteria for lunch Wednesday to test a new menu item that overwhelmingly pleased their young palates.

Americorps FoodCorps Connecticut service member Paige Petit, who divides her time between Macdonough and Farm Hill elementary schools, led a black bean and corn salsa tasting, alongside U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, offering tiny cups of the colorful and mildly spicy sauce.

Students at the North End school are particularly adventurous when it comes to trying new foods, which happens courtesy of a federal grant that funds fresh produce the children enjoy for snacks, lunch, and breakfast.

“We try to expose them to different things, like star fruit, avocado — not your typical apples and things like that. We’re trying to change their eating patterns. The hope is they’ll bring that home,” said Principal Damian Reardon as he circulated the room, gauging the students’ reactions.