School Lunch Hero Day

School Lunch Hero Day was founded with the purpose of honoring and showing appreciation for those women (and some men, of course!) who are such important team members, dedicated to filling the bellies of school children all over the country.

History of School Lunch Hero Day

School Lunch Hero Day got its start more than a decade ago when it was founded in 2013 by the School Nutrition Association (SNA). The event was a collaboration with this important organization along with graphic novelist, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, the author of Lunch Lady. This series of at least ten graphic novels about a lunch lady who fights crime as a spy is a delightful, humorous depiction of the life of someone who seems average but is truly a hero as well! 

Krosoczka was excited to team up with the SNA in honor of School Lunch Hero Day. He said that he loves the way his creative endeavors promote the purposes of providing healthy and nutritious meals on the tray for every child. And the people who do it are truly everyday heroes!

How to Celebrate School Lunch Hero Day

Show some love and appreciation for those brave women and men who serve children a hot meal each day! Get started with observing School Lunch Hero Day using some of these activities:

Thank a School Lunch Hero

One of the most excellent ways to get involved with observing School Lunch Hero Day is to find creative ways to say ‘thank you’ to the lunch workers. While a verbal ‘thanks’ is a good start, perhaps there would be some other ways to show appreciation. Write them each a thank you note. Make them a poster to hang in the lunch room. Design and gift them with a special School Lunch Hero cape to wear just for the occasion. Bring in special sweet treats that they can enjoy. Instead of asking them to serve lunch, have the kids or school staff volunteer to serve everyone – including the lunch ladies!

Invite Others to Share School Lunch Hero Day

Students, parents, teachers, school principals, administrators and even the school board can participate in School Lunch Hero Day in a variety of ways. One excellent way to spread the word is by making sure everyone knows about it.

Share the news on social media platforms in advance of the day to spread the word. Make special thank you posts on the school’s website or social media accounts to say an individual thank you to each one of the people who serve lunches to the kids. Make it official by using the official graphic of School Lunch Hero Day, created by author Jarrett Kroscozka, himself! 

Offer School Kitchen Tours

Educating kids on what goes on in the background, behind the stainless steel counter, is a good way to teach them to better understand certain jobs. Teachers can make a point of arranging tours of the inner workings of the school lunch room, walking them through some of the tasks and activities that the lunch workers do. And what could be a better day for a school kitchen tour than School Lunch Hero Day?! Allow younger students to invite their parents for lunch on this day, making an even bigger deal out of this important event.