Lee's Summit R7 Nutrition Services

08/28/2026

CONGRATULATIONS to Tonda at Woodland Elementary who was the 2026 recipient of the Heart of the Program award for LSR7 Nutrition Services. The Heart of the Program Award was created in 2025 to award someone who shows passion, not only for the schools we serve, but for the entire department.

Tonda has poured so much passion into our program, going way above and beyond the call of duty; her can do, will do attitude with everything she does is contagious! Tonda, we are grateful to have you on our team and as such an integral member of the Nutrition program at LSR7. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!

08/27/2026

Most identifiers removed TO PROTECT THE TIRED! And yes, this is real.
SOMEBODY GET THIS CAFETERIA HERO A COFFEE!
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Nobody:
Absolutely nobody:

Cafeteria employee on the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: “Yep. I’m gonna need a minute.” 😂😂

Day 1, y’all. DAY. ONE. 😳

08/26/2026

LSR7, WE ARE READY FOR YOU!

A message shared with Cafe Managers by our Director, Lori Danella, as we prepare to embark on feeding THOUSANDS of meals in just a few hours...

We have one amazing management and admin team. At one of our meetings, everyone introduced themselves and shared how many years they have worked in Child Nutrition. That got me thinking…Just how much knowledge, experience, and wisdom do we have sitting around our management and office team? So, I added up the years. 473 YEARS! That’s 473 years of serving students, supporting staff, solving problems, navigating challenges, learning, growing, and making a difference in Child Nutrition. This number does not include the hundreds of additional years from our very experienced cafe staff!

Think about everything that has changed over those years—menus, regulations, technology, equipment, programs, students, and the way we operate. Yet through it all, this team has continued to show up, adapt, learn, lead, and serve. Thousands of students served. Countless meals prepared. Millions of moments that mattered. And I couldn't be prouder of the incredible knowledge and experience we have on our team.

08/21/2026

TELL US! One word...how are you feeling as the first day of school approaches?

I'll start! PREPARED!

What else we got?!?

08/18/2026

We are in full on BACK TO SCHOOL MODE! We've had our first Manager's Meeting, our Back to School Workshop (welcoming back ALL employees) and our Manager's Retreat. Stay tuned to hear more about these things and how it benefits your Nutrition Services Department!

In the meantime, our Cafe Manager at Underwood Elementary has taken all she's picked up over the last week to heart. We visted the KC Food Hub (soooo many good things happening there!) so she chose to highlight our Farm to School Program at UWE Meet the Teacher night. Amy is truly one of our best at introducing fresh fruits and veggies to her students and encouraging them to try something new!

07/13/2026

We are at one of the best events of the year to find out what’s new in school nutrition! So many vendors are versed in the challenges facing school nutrition and they SHOW UP! Always working to keep things new, fresh, innovative and up to standards!

Excited for school lunches 2026-2027!!

07/12/2026

About to take the stage at ANC 2026 in Charlotte, NC to receive awards for NATIONAL Employee and Manager of the Year for the School Nutrition Association.

07/08/2026

Now is the time to fill out Free//Reduced applications for 2026-2027. Current applications expire the first part of October.

🍎 Is your family eligible for free and reduced lunch for the 2026-27 school year? 🍴

Updated income guidelines are now available. Check to see if you qualify before online enrollment opens July 27. 📝

ℹ️ Learn more: 🔗 lsr7.org/families/parent-quicklinks/free-and-reduced-lunch

07/08/2026

Congratulations to Underwood Elementary/Amy Hankins Cafe Manager, they were featured for serving Aspargus to the students in May. Great job!!!

06/23/2026

We are getting questions regarding the SunBucks program and families are being told to call Nutrition Services. Unfortunately we do not have anything to do with the release of those funds; they are from the state.

If you have any questions regarding SUN Bucks, please use this website for answers or for appropriate contact information.

What is Missouri SUN Bucks?Missouri SUN Bucks is a program to help families buy food for their school-aged children during the summer