What happens when a food company decides that feeding kids shouldn't come with a side of shame? In this episode of the Next Up Podcast, host Marlon Gordon sits down with Samantha Bourque, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at National Food Group, to unpack the staggering reality of school meal debt in America, and one company's mission to erase it.

From the NFL Sideline to the School Lunch Line

Samantha Bourque's path to the school nutrition industry was anything but conventional. After studying advertising and PR, she landed an internship with the Detroit Lions doing community relations, a role she didn't even know existed. That first taste of community impact work led to five seasons with the NFL, a stint at ESPN in Connecticut, and a major role at Ford Motor Company's philanthropic arm.

When a position opened at National Food Group, Bourque saw an opportunity to channel her experience at global organizations into a smaller, more agile team of about 140 people. The draw was personal: food insecurity had always weighed on her heart. As she explained on the podcast, the trend lines on hunger in America keep moving in the wrong direction despite millions of dollars in investment, and she wanted to help change that.

"I never ever thought I would ever work in the school food space, but tell you what, I'm never going to go anywhere else because the people in this, whether they're operators or industry, they're just all good people."

Project Serve: Five Pillars of Giving Back

At National Food Group, Bourque leads Project Serve, the company's philanthropic initiative built on five pillars: secure food and funding, educate, respect diversity, volunteer, and elevate sustainability. The company pledges 5% of its profits to community giving, donating roughly 400,000 pounds of food annually to food banks and nonprofits including Forgotten Harvest in Metro Detroit and Kids Food Basket in West Michigan, which distributes about 11,000 evening and weekend meals a day across three counties.

But the giving goes beyond food donations. National Food Group partners with Detroit Food Academy to introduce young people to career paths they never considered. As Bourque described, one student listened to presentations from various departments and stood up to ask a buyer, "Wait a second. You buy food for a living? I love shopping and I love food. You're saying I can do that?" That moment of realization is exactly what the program is designed to spark.

The $200 Million Problem: Understanding School Meal Debt

When Bourque joined National Food Group, she asked the K-12 team what the most pressing issue was for school nutrition professionals. Without hesitation, they answered: school meal debt. Bourque's immediate follow-up was telling, "What is that?", a response she says they hear constantly from people outside the industry. In 2025, school meal debt nationwide is estimated at $200 million, and it continues to climb due to economic and political factors.

What makes the issue so insidious is its reach. Meal debt doesn't respect zip codes. Affluent districts apply for relief alongside rural and urban ones. Even states that have adopted universal free meals still face compounding debt that rolled over from prior years. Bourque shared the example of a major Chicago-area district in Illinois, a free meals state, that still couldn't get ahead of years of accumulated debt.

"It doesn't matter where the school's from. We have gotten applications from all 50 states. Last year alone, we had over $6 million in debt applied to be paid off to us."

Grab The Tab: From $25K Pilot to National Movement

National Food Group's Grab The Tab program started as a modest pilot with a $25,000 budget. The response was immediate and overwhelming: hundreds of applications poured in representing millions of dollars in debt. Over three years, the program has distributed more than $150,000 to nine schools and districts across eight states. The application process is deliberately simple, basic school information, proof of debt, and one critical question: "Why should Zee Zees come grab your tab?"

Bourque describes reading all 400-plus applications each year as the hardest thing she's done in her career. But it also reveals the extraordinary dedication of school nutrition professionals. These are people applying not for themselves, but for their students and families. When the Zee Zees team visits winning schools, they're met with open arms and cafeterias full of grateful kids. Year four launches in 2026, bigger than ever, because the need hasn't gone away.

Sustainability, Composting, and the Full Life Cycle of Food

Beyond debt relief, National Food Group takes food waste seriously. The company composted about 300,000 pounds of product last year, diverting unsellable items to local composters where they become animal feed and biofuel. Bourque shared a memorable detail: the cows and pigs on the receiving farms reportedly get excited when they see the delivery truck coming with Zee Zees products.

The company also recently launched a national partnership with Blessings in a Backpack, embedding Zee Zees products in weekend meal bags for food-insecure students. The first event, packing 12,000 bags in Waupaca, Wisconsin, demonstrates the scale of the need and the team's competitive spirit. Bourque noted that the Zee Zees office team can pack about 150 bags in under two minutes during their annual packing events.

Key Takeaways