WILLMAR, Minn. — The makers of the Jennie-O® turkey brand – one of the most beloved turkey brands in the country – announced a partnership in October with esteemed chef, cookbook author and beloved TV personality Carla Hall. As part of this partnership, the Jennie-O team and Hall visit schools across the nation to honor school cafeteria staff by hosting School Cafeteria Takeovers. The campaign kicked off in Knoxville, Tenn., at Blue Grass Elementary School in October, then headed to Panorama High School in Los Angeles, Calif., in November. This week, the team recognizes the unsung heroes of the school cafeteria staff at Houston’s Mandarin Immersion Magnet School (MIMS), which is part of the Houston Independent School District.
“I have been having an incredible time with Jennie-O, together honoring cafeteria staff across the nation — first in Knoxville, then Los Angeles, and now in lovely Houston,” said Hall. “Cafeteria staff are truly the unsung heroes of our schools. They do so much for our kids – from feeding them to putting smiles on their faces. And we know how vital it is for our kids to have proper nutrition and good protein to help sustain them through their studies, sports, activities and more.”
Hall and the Jennie-O® culinary team worked together to develop a grazing table featuring Jennie-O® turkey for the school cafeteria staff to enjoy. During the event, Hall will lead a baking tutorial of her famous biscuits with school cafeteria staff. She will also learn a few phrases in Mandarin – taught by MIMS students. Additionally, Jennie-O® will bring in local businesses to offer refreshments and relaxing amenities for school cafeteria heroes, including chair massages. Finally, staff will receive heartfelt notes of gratitude from the student body.
As part of the School Cafeteria Takeovers program with Hall, the makers of the Jennie-O® brand will provide $25,000 in kitchen equipment to four additional schools throughout the Spring to help fulfill wish lists for cafeterias in need of new equipment and supplies.
“In the short time I have been at MIMS, I have seen how hard our cafeteria staff works each and every day to make sure our students are fed with nutritional food, so they are ready to learn,” said Principal Cindy Tiet of the Mandarin Immersion Magnet School. “They serve our students with smiles on their faces and love through their cooking! We are so thankful to Chef Carla Hall and Jennie-O® brand for the opportunity to show our gratitude and appreciation by being able to serve and pamper them!”
“It has been incredible to see how touched the cafeteria staff have been through our School Cafeteria Takeover programs,” said Renee Cool, brand manager at Jennie-O Turkey Store. “Working with Chef Carla to honor them by letting them kick up their feet, being served a delicious Jennie-O® turkey meal and feeling gratitude from the students has been so special.”
In addition to Blue Grass Elementary School in Knoxville in October 2022, Panorama High School in Los Angeles in November 2022, this week’s Mandarin Immersion Magnet School Houston visit, the Jennie-O® brand team and Hall will commence the tour in Detroit in May.
Jennie-O® is the leading turkey provider to school districts in the United States.
- Jennie-O is the leading turkey provider in 9 of the top 10 school districts in the nation.
- Jennie-O serves more than 5,000 school districts in the U.S.
- Jennie-O has the largest variety of K-12 turkey products in America.
- The Jennie-O sales team has more than 100 years of combined experience in servicing K-12.
- 90 percent of USDA-donated turkey is processed by Jennie-O.
For more information about Jennie-O® turkey products, including recipes, nutritional information and where to buy, visit JennieO.com or follow the brand on social media at Facebook.com/JennieOTurkey, Instagram.com/JennieO, TikTok.com/@jennieobrand and Twitter.com/JennieO.
ABOUT JENNIE-O TURKEY STORE
For over 80 years, the Jennie-O® brand has been helping consumers live well by eating well. As the category leader, Jennie-O® turkey is the trusted brand for quality turkey and a source of expertise. We provide a full portfolio of delicious, nutritious turkey proteins and inspiration for everyday meals or special occasions. Known for our bright green awning evoking the nostalgia of a local farmer stand, our round logo with a touch of yellow and our distinct name from our founders’ daughter Jennifer, the Jennie-O® turkey brand has the right amount of small-town friendliness paired with leading company expertise and quality. For more information, visit JennieO.com.
ABOUT HORMEL FOODS – INSPIRED PEOPLE. INSPIRED FOOD.™
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $12 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include Planters®, SKIPPY®, SPAM®, Hormel® Natural Choice®, Applegate®, Justin’s®, WHOLLY®, Hormel® Black Label®, Columbus®, Jennie-O® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named on the “Global 2000 World’s Best Employers” list by Forbes magazine for three years, is one of Fortune magazine’s most admired companies, has appeared on the “100 Best Corporate Citizens” list by 3BL Media 13 times, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement — Inspired People. Inspired Food.™ — to bring some of the world’s most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and http://csr.hormelfoods.com/.
