C08 FSMC_Dis Rec Lt_Em(G1ab, G2ab, G3, FOA)

APPENDIX C08. FSMC/Distributor RECRUITMENT LETTER/EMAIL

(Groups 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3, & Full Outlying Areas)

OMB Number: 0584-xxxx

Expiration Date: xx/xx/20xx

This information is being collected to assist the Food and Nutrition Service in understanding school food purchasing practices, the nutritional quality of school meals and snacks, the cost to produce school meals, and student participation and dietary intakes. This is a voluntary collection and FNS will use the information to monitor program operations. This collection does not request any personally identifiable information under the Privacy Act of 1974. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-[xxxx]. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 0.03 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314 ATTN: PRA (0584-xxxx). Do not return the completed form to this address.

[EMAIL ONLY: Subject line: National School Foods Study]

[[LETTER ONLY: FirstName LastName

Title

Address 1

City, State Zip]

Dear [FirstName] [LastName]:

USDA Food and Nutrition Service has selected Mathematica, Decision Information Resources, and ProTeam to conduct the 2024–2025 National School Foods Study. Several school districts served by [Company name] have been chosen to participate in this important study. As a key [food service management provider/school food distributor], your support is critical to ensuring we are able to include school districts served by [Company Name] to gain an accurate picture of school meal nutrition and costs, and food service operations, across the nation. We intend our data to be nationally representative and all sampled school districts are needed to achieve this goal.

Your support for this study will help inform future policies for school meals and ensures the meals contribute to a healthier future for children. I have [MAIL ONLY: enclosed/EMAIL ONLY: linked to] two documents for your review: 1) an overview of the study and 2) [a letter/letters] of endorsement.

[Recruiter] will be contacting you to discuss the study in detail, identify the SFAs in the sample that are serviced by your company, and answer your questions. We will ask you to support the National School Foods Study by reaching out to SFAs to encourage their participation [IF FSMC: and provide any requested data]. We are happy to provide sample language and information on the types of data we will request from SFAs.

All information gathered for this study is for research purposes only and will be kept private to the full extent allowed by law. Participation in the study will not affect meal reimbursements to participating districts and schools or school meal program benefits to participating households.

Thank you in advance for your assistance with this important study. If you have questions, feel free to contact me at ashley.chaifetz@usda.gov.

Sincerely,

Ashley Chaifetz

Study Project Officer

Office of Policy Support

USDA Food and Nutrition Service

Enclosures: Endorsement LETTER, Study Overview