USU Dietetics Students Triple Community Impact With Class Project

Utah State University students are combining hands-on learning with service through a class project designed to build essential skills while giving to community members in need.

Graduate students in USU’s Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences prepared more than 1,500 nutritious, freezer-friendly meals for guests of the William A. Burnard Warming Center in Logan.

Students planned menus designed to be nutritionally balanced, comforting and practical for the warming center’s guests. Meals included hearty dinners such as chili, chicken and dumplings, chicken noodle soup and shepherd’s pie, along with breakfast options like burritos, baked oatmeal and muffins. Breakfast items were included after students learned that many warming center guests leave early in the morning for work and benefit from portable, energy-dense meals.

“We really tried to give some dignity back by providing a home-cooked meal that was made specifically for them,” said Alyssa Reidhead, professor in the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences. “It wasn’t leftovers. It was made for them.”

Students worked in teams to develop recipes, scale them to large quantities, shop for ingredients, cook, portion, label and package meals with clear reheating instructions. Meals were designed to freeze and reheat well using the warming center’s available microwaves.

Graduate student Ryleigh Foggin said the hands-on experience made the project especially meaningful.

“It was really fulfilling to see how many meals we made and know they were going to people who actually needed them,” she said. “At least one of the meals they receive will be balanced, nourishing and homemade. That really matters.”

The project was completed as part of the Certificate in Applied Practice in Dietetics foodservice skills course and marked the second year of collaboration between USU and the warming center. After producing 500 meals during the first year, the warming center challenged students to triple that number. Students met that goal through careful planning, teamwork and long hours in the kitchen.

“An important skill our students need is quantity food production,” Reidhead said. “This project allowed them to learn those skills while also serving the community in a meaningful way.”

Graduate student Marissa Cook said the project highlighted how classroom learning can directly improve people’s lives.

“Knowing that what we were learning could make a real impact on people was incredibly motivating,” she said. “We’re gaining an education for a reason, and it’s meaningful to use those skills to give back.”

In addition to meal production, students compiled a recipe and production handbook designed to help smaller warming centers and respite facilities replicate the project in other communities. The handbook will be available and distributed next year.

The project reflects the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Agriculture and Natural Resources' broader commitment to hands-on learning and community engagement. The Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences was recently recognized as a Community Engaged Department, a classification held by only a few campus units.

“This is a great example of a partnership where students gain essential skills while also benefiting the community,” Reidhead said. “Students find it more meaningful when their work has a real purpose.”

The William A. Burnard Warming Center is located in St. John's Episcopal Church in Logan. The center provides safety, warmth and care for unhoused individuals and families on the coldest nights of the year in Cache Valley. The staff and volunteers provide immediate respite services such as shelter, food, water and cold-weather gear.