Hear the D.C. Crunch With D.C. Hunger Solutions

Home > Blog Posts > Hear the D.C. Crunch With D.C. Hunger Solutions

By LaMonika Jones, Director of DC Hunger Solutions

March 8, 2023

Let’s “dig into school breakfast!” March 6–10 is National School Breakfast Week when we highlight the importance of school breakfast and celebrate the hard work that teachers, school nutrition staff, and families have put in to make sure students have breakfast, either before the school day begins or after the bell rings.

This year, D. C. Hunger Solutions will continue to celebrate school breakfast by holding our annual Hear the Crunch Day!

Join us Wednesday, March 8, as we grab an apple and take a bite to show our support of School Breakfast Program.

According to the Food Research & Action Center’s, School Reach Report, the School Breakfast Program provides critical nutrition support to children need, especially those residing in food insecure households. Additionally, participation in school breakfast strongly supports improved learning, stronger behavioral health, and less absenteeism from school.

Local policy initiatives such as the Healthy Schools Act in D.C. provide proven support that alternative school breakfast models contribute to improved student health and wellness.

For example, D.C. Public Schools offer several opportunities for students to receive school breakfast. Elementary school students can receive breakfast in the classroom — breakfast meals are delivered in insulated bags to each classroom, so classes can eat breakfast together after the bell rings. Middle and high school students can receive a portable breakfast option from a central location within the school, such as the front door on their way into the school. Meals are typically available throughout the morning to ensure students do not miss an opportunity to have breakfast before the start of their day.

National School Breakfast Week and Hear the Crunch are also important moments for us to look ahead to what is in store for school meals. The Universal School Meals Amendment Act of 2023, introduced by D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson aims to provide school meals (including school breakfast) and afterschool snacks at no charge to all District of Columbia students regardless of household income.

As you show your support for school breakfast and Universal School Meals, follow our lead by taking a picture while taking a bite of your apple, and post it on social media by tagging DC Hunger Solutions at @DCHunger on Twitter and @dchungersolutions on Instagram, and by using the hashtags #HeartheCrunchDC and #NSBW23! Download our Hear the Crunch Social Media Toolkit for graphics and additional information to share.

We’d love to hear how you plan to celebrate National School Breakfast Week and Hear the D.C. Crunch Day! Share your plans by signing up here.

Learn From Our Research On Ending Hunger In America

FRAC Plan of Action to End Hunger in America

Recent Articles

Apr 15, 2024

Ann Marie Krautheim, M.A., R.D., L.D., GENYOUTH CEO

Youth Insights — Cultivating Healthy Eating for the Future: An Interview With GENYOUth CEO Ann Marie Krautheim, M.A., R.D., L.D.

GENYOUth’s newest Youth Insights report, Fostering Wellness in Youth: Cultivating Healthy Eating for the Future, offers a comprehensive overview of how schools and key stakeholders can foster healthy eating among youth and provides insights directly from students. Today’s students have a strong sense of responsibility for their health and wellness. We know because we ask them. GENYOUth Insights elevates youth voice through original, timely research on topics that matter to students and their schools.

Apr 10, 2024

Kelsey Boone

USDA Releases Reports Evaluating 11 Years of the Summer EBT Demonstration Project

In early March 2024, USDA released their final two reports on the Summer EBT demonstration projects. The reports evaluated the last seven years of the program: the first report covered 2015 to 2018, and the second covered 2019 to 2022. These reports differed from the previous evaluations of the demonstration projects in that they did not include an experimental design to evaluate the impact of the Summer EBT benefit. Instead, these reports evaluated the implementation and administration of the grants and examined patterns in household usage.
These reports found that parents and caregivers appreciated Summer EBT and saw the program as a critical resource that helped fill nutritional gaps. They felt the program provided flexibility in where they could purchase food and allowed families to purchase more nutritious foods.

Mar 21, 2024

Clarissa Hayes, Deputy Director, Child Nutrition Programs & Policy

The Reach of School Meals during the 2022-2023 School Year: The Impact of the End of Pandemic-Era Waivers

The Food Research & Action Center’s (FRAC) recently released report, The Reach of School Breakfast and Lunch During the 2022–2023 School Year, reveals that just over 14.3 million children received a school breakfast, and 28.1 million children received a school lunch on an average day during the 2022–2023 school year — a decrease of 1.2 million children in breakfast, and 1.8 million children in lunch compared to the 2021–2022 school year.

For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, school breakfast and lunch returned to normal operations for the 2022–2023 school year.

All Blogs

FRAC Chat