FRAC Chat

Food Research & Action Center’s recently released report, The Reach of School Breakfast and Lunch During the 2021–2022 School Year, reveals that just over 15.5 million children received a school breakfast, and 29.9 million children received a school lunch on an average day during the 2021–2022 school year — an increase of 1.6 million children in breakfast, and 10.1 million in lunch compared to the 2020–2021 school year.

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.

This blog is Part 2 in a two-part series. Part 1 focused on the impact of the end of SNAP Emergency Allotments in Washington, D.C. Part 2 highlights two anti-hunger bills passed by the D.C. Council to address food insecurity in the District — the Give SNAP a Raise Amendment Act and the No Senior Hungry Omnibus Amendment Act.

In December 2022, the D.C. Council passed two anti-hunger bills to address food insecurity in the District — the Give SNAP a Raise Amendment Act and the No Senior Hungry Omnibus Amendment Act. . These bills come at a key moment, as many D.C. families have recently seen will soon see their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit amounts decrease as a result of the end of SNAP Emergency Allotments.

March 6–10 is National School Breakfast Week, a weeklong celebration recognizing the critical role school breakfast plays in students’ health and learning. Research shows that school breakfast improves children’s nutrition, attendance, behavior, and academic performance; however, far too many students still miss this vital morning meal.

William Lucy is the former  International Secretary of Treasurer of the  American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and one of the co-founders of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists.  Lucy retired 10 years ago and is currently on the Board of Directors of the NAACP. 

In the following interview, Lucy discusses the impact of the 1968 I am A Man Campaign, where sanitation workers went on strike in Memphis, Tennessee. Lucy was a labor leader for this strike. 

In celebration of Black History Month, Lucy was interviewed by Michael J. Wilson, director of Maryland Hunger Solutions.