Jamie’s mission this week focused on obtaining funding from the community to be able to sustain the lunch programs and Jamie’s Kitchen after he leaves Huntington. Although successful, his fund-raising dinner didn’t raise as much as Jamie would have liked. His primary target was Doug Shields, communications directors at Cabell Huntington Hospital. Unfortunately, Mr. Shields seemed very concerned about how ABC would be marketing Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution and how America would perceive their community.
Jamie returned to the high school and called an all-school assembly during which he apologized to the students for closing down their supply of french fries during lunch. He offered to the students that he would reinstate the french fry option; however, he also told them that their lunch choices would determine whether or not he could spread his revolution to the other schools in the district. If more students chose french fries over Jamie’s home made spaghetti with meat sauce, his efforts would stop. Jamie immediately questioned himself and how well he communicated to the teenagers. However, it turned out that the french fry line was deserted and so many students chose Jamie’s menu that they had to open a second line. As a result, Rhonda McCoy told Jamie that he could be in charge of all four options at the high school and make all four healthy food choices.
Another important scene this week was when Jamie visited the distributor that supplies the ingredients for the school lunches. Although Jamie did find thousands of frozen foods; he also discovered that they supply produce and other fresh foods. The schools are receiving processed foods because that is what they choose, not because that is all that is available.
Jamie uses a mobile food truck to take local, fresh foods to the hospital to help get Doug Shields’ attention. Jamie wanted to show that he could deliver burgers and dogs (brats) in a healthier form. Jamie was successful in getting Doug’s attention and invited him to visit the elementary school with him to help him better understand Jamie’s Food Revolution and the positive impact it is having on the children of Huntington.