With Friends Youth Wellness Policy
With Friends, Inc. (hereto referred to as the Residential Child Care Institute) is committed to the optimal development of every student. The Residential Child Care Institute (RCCI) believes that for runaway and homeless youth to have the opportunity to achieve personal, academic, developmental, and social success, we need to encourage a lifetime of healthy eating for each youth by providing free meals to youth that are nutritious, appealing, and served by caring professionals in a pleasant environment.
With Friends Youth Wellness Policy – pdf download
Public Involvement
The RCCI will convene a representative Youth Wellness Committee (YWC) that meets at least 1 time per year to establish goals for and oversee youth health and safety policies and programs, including development, implementation, and periodic review and update of this Youth Wellness Policy (YWP).
Potential Stakeholders
Potential stakeholders are made aware of their ability to participate in the YWC when they volunteer as a With Friends, Inc. Board Member or With Friends Teen Board Member. Youth are made aware of their ability to participate in the YWC once they have conducted intake during orientation.
Policy Leadership
The Executive Director or designee(s) will convene the YWC and facilitate development of and updates to the YWP, and will ensure each shelters compliance with the policy. It is only required that 3 of the 9 roles be present to hold a meeting.
The name(s), title(s), and role of this/these individual(s) is:
Name | Title | Role |
Caroline W. Looney | Executive Director | Director |
Monica J. Lail | Associate Director | Administrator |
Johnsie Adams | Residential Coordinator | Manager |
O’Neil Walker | Social Worker | Social Worker |
Young Yang | Case Manager | Direct Care Worker |
Quonisha McCaskill | Youth Development Specialist | Direct Care Worker |
Board | Board Member | Stakeholder |
Teen Board | Board Member | Stakeholder |
Resident | Youth | Stakeholder |
Food and Nutrition
Food is not available for sale or marketing on With Friends campus. Free meals to all runaway and homeless youth that are nutritious, appealing, and served by caring professionals in a pleasant environment. Menus are required to adhere to federal meal regulations and available by clicking on the following links:
Menu – pfd download
Breakfast – School Breakfast Program
- Milk
- Fruit
- Grain
Lunch – National School Lunch Program
- Milk
- Fruit
- Vegetable
- Meat/Meat
Alternate - Grain
3pm Snack – After School Snack Program (Weekdays) and Child and Adult Food Care Program (Weekend)
- 2 components of 4 components (milk, fruit/vegetable, grain, meat/meat alternate)
Supper – Child and Adult Food Care Program
- Milk
- Fruit
- Vegetable
- Meat/Meat
Alternate - Grain
8pm Snack – Child and Adult Food Care Program
- 2 components of 4 components (milk, fruit/vegetable, grain, meat/meat alternate)
Kids Café – Second Harvest Food Bank
- Provides
free meals, snacks and nutrition education to at-risk children.
YWP Goals:
With Friends, Inc. is committed to providing environments that promote a positive culture of health and wellness and protects the health and well-being of runaway and homeless youth and staff, and to practices that reduce childhood hunger and enhance youths’ ability to learn by supporting healthy eating, physical activity, a tobacco and drug-free culture and the development of life long physical and mental wellness practices.
In order to achieve these goals, YWC will:
- Establish and maintain a YWC to help
plan, implement, and monitor compliance with YWP and other policies and
regulations related to health and wellness; - Establish and support a YWC in each RCCI;
- Promote staff wellness;
- Establish nutritional standards for
foods provided free on youth shelter campuses that meet or exceed nutritional
standards set by the US Department of Agriculture, North Carolina Board of
Education policy, and North Carolina law; - Increase youths’ opportunities for
physical education and physical activity; - Promote a tobacco, alcohol and
drug-free culture; and - Provide health and nutrition education.
Evidence-Based Practices:
- Choose MyPlate
- Let’s Move
- Fuel Up to Play 60
Promotions:
- Culture of Nutrition
- Chopped
- Kids Baking Star
- Food With Friends Star
Triennial Assessment
This YWC will conduct an assessment every 3 years to determine:
- Compliance
with the YWP - How the YWP compares to model
wellness policies - Progress made in attaining the YWP
goals
Public Notice
This With Friends Youth Wellness Plan, Youth Wellness Committee Meeting Agenda/Minutes and its Triennial Assessments will be posted to the With Friends website at www.withfriendsinc.com under Food and Nutrition
Youth Wellness Committee Meetings
- 2024 – pdf download
Triennial Assessments
- 2019-2022 – pdf download
Non-Discrimination Statement
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on
the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual
orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons
with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program
information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should
contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s
TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the
Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online
at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-ComplaintForm-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866)
632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the
complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the
alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil
Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The
completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
email:
program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or