Janet Adam, a cheese steward at Dillons store #87 in Topeka, Kan., loves cheese. She grew up in Wisconsin, where she had her first taste of cheese curd as a child when her mom took her and her siblings to a dairy plant.

Janet also has a passion for people. And she enjoys finding ways to combine her two passions by inspiring the kids who come into her store to love cheese.

That’s why Janet started the Kid’s Cheese Club as a way to connect with her community and – of course – help even the youngest Dillons’ customers expand their knowledge and interest for cheese.

Each month, Janet creates packets for the kids with hand-crafted items she personally puts together – a sample of the cheese of the month, a write-up about the cheese, a story about the cheese maker, puzzles, coloring sheets, recipes and more. Kid’s Cheese Club members even come in some weekends to help hand out samples and talk to customers about cheese.

Since August 2018, the club’s grown to 52 children, and word has spread to teachers and parents from schools around the area. The Kid’s Cheese Club is a bona-fide hit!

“The look in the kids’ eyes when they get their packets and see what they have inside, that makes it all worthwhile … That makes me feel good that the kids are enjoying not only the cheese, but they’re also enjoying learning,” says Janet.