The Food Policy Council Welcomes UC Dietetics Student Yale Godfrey

Contributors: Yale Godfrey, Maddie Chera, Kelly St. Charles

The Food Policy Council Welcomes Another UC Dietetics Student

Yale Godfrey, a graduate student in University of Cincinnati’s Nutrition Science Program, is studying to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RD/RDN). This summer, he worked with the Food Policy Council (FPC) as an intern in his Community Nutrition Rotation. During this time, Yale focused on developing optimized communication methods that the FPC can use to further connect to the community. Additionally, he was able to expand his understanding of the food system by meeting and chatting with individuals from various sectors of the FPC network so that he may apply this knowledge in his future endeavors.  

A Rotation Based in Community

During his six-week rotation with Green Umbrella, Yale worked on improving communication with members of the community regarding complex subjects. He focused on developing concise informational resources to introduce those inexperienced with food systems to FPC’s work, resulting in two new resources: 

• USDA DoD Fresh Program: How Schools Can Incorporate Local Produce in the Cafeteria
  • Yale researched different ways school food services obtain their produce items and how to procure more of these items from local sources. His findings and discussion with relevant stakeholders provided the basis of a fact sheet titled “USDA DoD Fresh” that details the government program that schools can use to get more local produce into the cafeteria. 
• Green Umbrella and the Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council: A Community-Driven Coalition
  • To further clarify the benefits of having a community-centric approach in non-profit work, Yale created a resource that explains the systems in which the Food Policy Council operates. This guide also incorporates ideas from other organizations that share similar values and approaches.

In addition to his communications research, Yale helped with the FPC’s session at the Regional Green Schoolyards Summit, “Enjoying the Fruits of Farm to School: Transformational Collaboration Across Local Food Businesses, School Gardens, and Dining Services”. He also assisted with FPC meetings and presented at the June Full Council meeting. 

Through this community rotation, Yale was introduced to the complexity of our food system and the many different moving parts that are involved just in our region alone. When asked what he would take away with him as he moves toward his goal of a career in clinical nutrition, Yale said, “I have a newfound appreciation for the work of school foodservice directors, after I took a deep dive into their operations. I realized the multitude of challenges they face in their position.” Despite his short time with Green Umbrella, Yale has made an impactful contribution to our communication efforts that will continue to progress the FPC’s work in food systems change in Greater Cincinnati. We love to see the empathy and understanding grow through community connections, and we appreciate Yale, foodservice directors, and all our members in educational institutions!

More Information & Resources 

• The Food Policy Council
• University of Cincinnati’s Masters in Nutrition Sciences program 
• Undergraduate Nutrition and Dietetics program
• Ohio Dept. of Education and Workforce’s USDA DoD Fresh factsheet