Before the first student enters the cafeteria for lunch, the work has already begun at the Modesto City Schools Nutrition Services warehouse.
This is where every delivery of fresh produce, frozen staples, and dry goods arrives, is carefully received and inventoried, and is prepared for distribution to school sites across the district.
Jason Hamilton, a dedicated warehouse team member at the center of this essential operation, has served MCS for 22 years. He has witnessed firsthand the evolution of school food: from highly processed items to today’s healthier offerings. 
“More whole grains, lower sugar, reduced sodium, and gluten-free items are standard now,” Hamilton said.
What hasn’t changed over the years is his dedication to the job.
“I love what I do,” Hamilton said. “I’m proud of what I’ve done all these years, and I do it for the kids.”
Over two decades, Hamilton has helped nourish an estimated 400,000 students, a staggering contribution that often goes unrecognized on School Lunch Hero Day, which honors the vital role of school nutrition professionals.
Each day, the warehouse team begins early. Shipments are checked, temperatures are verified for perishable items, and pick lists are assembled to fulfill the weekly or daily needs of school sites. Due to size and menu variety, high schools present the most complex orders.
Walking past rows of neatly stacked pallets, some weighing more than a ton, it’s clear how massive the operation is. Just one pallet of tomato paste weighs over 2,000 pounds and supports about two months of school lunches. That’s more than 12,000 pounds of tomato paste used in a single school year!
“If I need something or can’t find the right item, I ask Jason,” said Guadalupe Valadez, Nutrition Services operations technician. “He stops what he’s doing to help. Jason is a hero in my book, and we’re lucky to have him.”
Jason is joined by two other warehouse team members, Peter Biasca and Mel Nieves, who help with inventory, receiving, and picking to ensure the system runs smoothly.
Thanks to these behind-the-scenes heroes, Modesto City Schools cafeterias are able to serve the nutritious, delicious meals students count on each day.