Amanda (Amy) Giffin completed her Bachelor's Degree in Nutritional Sciences - Dietetics from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 2009 and completed her dietetic internship through Mount Mary College in 2011. She is a Registered Dietitian and also is certified through the University of Wisconsin-Extension as a Master Gardener Volunteer.
She previously worked at the Milwaukee Center for Independence (MCFI), an organization dedicated to helping individuals and families with special needs to live and work in the community. MCFI's Nutrition Services department helps to train individuals with special needs to work in food service establishments while providing meals to children in schools and day cares throughout Milwaukee. MCFI has a total of six different kitchens that make over 15,000 meals each day for schools and day cares participating in the National School Lunch Program or Child and Adult Care Food Program. As the Health and Wellness Program Supervisor, Amy was responsible for creating and distributing production reports for all six kitchens, ensuring meals are compliant with current United States Department of Agriculture guidelines, and coordinating and conducting training for staff and outlying schools. In addition, she provided nutrition education to the children, teachers, administrations, parents, and family members of the schools served by MCFI. Amy now works as an Administrative Training Dietitian at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In her spare time, Amy is also working on her Master's Degree in Nutrition at Mount Mary College and teaches cooking and healthy eating classes at NuGenesis, a local organic farm. She also is actively involved in the Wisconsin Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Amy's passion is to teach others how to live healthier and happier lives by choosing whole, natural foods and making them tasty! She also enjoys cooking for friends and families, attempting to grow a garden on her porch, staying active, and laughing as much as possible! |
Michelle Black is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Lactation Counselor. She graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Dietetics from Mount Mary College in 2010. She took the "scenic route" through college studying everything from Early Childhood Education, Exercise Science and Culinary Arts. Michelle is also certified through University of Wisconsin-Extension as a Master Gardener Volunteer. For the past two years, Michelle has served at the Manager of the Health and Wellness Programming at the Milwaukee Center for Independence (MCFI). In her position she has been able to utilize a variety of her skill sets to improve the health of the children living in Milwaukee County. She writes and analyzes all of the nutritious menus that are served to more than 8,000 children living in the City of Milwaukee each day. As the Health and Wellness Manager she is also responsible for developing and implementing all of the Wellness Programming that happens in conjunction with the meal service. She does in classroom nutrition education, talks to parents, assists with families who are struggling with allergies, teaches kids and families how to grow food at home and assists schools to develop and maintain educational school gardens. Michelle also counsels pregnant teens and women at nutritional risk and provides them with support during breastfeeding. She believes that prenatal nutrition and promoting breastfeeding are crucial as they are the earliest form of preventative care a person can receive. Michelle believes in the power of a whole foods plant-based diet. She loves traveling, making nourishing food for her husband and son, sharing that food with friends, working in her vegetable garden, being outside in the sunshine, shopping at farmers markets and having meaningful conversations. |