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for Healthy School Meals for All

THE ISSUE.

38+

Million people in America struggled against hunger in 2020
1 in 7

Households with children could not buy enough food for their families in 2020
10

Reasons why you should support healthy school meals. Learn more.
63%

of voters nationwide support legislation that would make free school meals permanently available to all students.

We can’t turn back now.

To keep child hunger at bay during the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued waivers to allow schools to provide meals at no charge to all students, no matter their household income. Without these waivers, the alarming spikes in childhood hunger caused by the fallout of COVID-19 would have been even worse.

But the waiver authorizing free school meals for all students expired in June 2022.

The pandemic served as a valuable lesson on the critical importance of providing healthy meals to all students. We can’t let that lesson be forgotten.

It’s time to move forward, not turn back.

THE CHALLENGE.

Children can’t learn on an empty stomach. School meals are just as important to students’ academic success as textbooks or transportation. Yet, prior to the pandemic, too many children were missing out because they didn’t qualify for free school meals.

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THE SOLUTION.

Healthy School Meals for All — offering school breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge to families —helps ensure that all children have the nutrition they need to grow and thrive.

We need to continue building on what we know works in order to fuel children’s health and learning.

Tell Congress hungry children can’t wait.

Healthy School Meals for All is also critical for advancing racial equity and justice, ensuring Black, Indigenous and Latinx students get the nutrition they need to support their education and beyond.

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By providing healthy school meals for all students, we can eliminate school meal debt and the lunch shaming that can stem from it.

GET INVOLVED.

Healthy school meals for all students would be a game changer. Encourage your legislators to endorse the Universal School Meals Program Act of 2021. This bill would ensure that all children have access to nutritious meals in order to learn and thrive year-round as we recover from the pandemic and beyond.

CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR

TELL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

HOW HAVE SCHOOL MEALS BEEN IMPORTANT TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY?

TELL US YOUR STORY

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BUILDING MOMENTUM.

Across the U.S., parents, teachers, students, doctors, nurses, dieticians, policymakers and many others are raising their hand in support of Healthy School Meals for All. California, Maine, Colorado and Minnesota have made free school meals for all a permanent part of the school day. In addition, Nevada, Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut have established free school meals for all students during the 2022-2023 school year. Many other states are considering similar legislation. Join us in being part of the solution!