As we approach the joyous holiday season and the start of a New Year, I’d like to reflect on the work Appleseed Centers are doing to make this world a brighter place, one meal at a time! Hunger has a profound impact on the academic achievement and future social mobility of children. Today we celebrate the Appleseed Network’s work to keep children fed.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, all students received free meals in schools through a federal waiver. Unfortunately, that initiative concluded in June 2022, leaving many students vulnerable to hunger or meal debt. As of the 2022-2023 school year, only two states had permanently invested in providing meals free of charge to all children in school.
This year marks a turning point as more states join the movement to guarantee permanent access to free healthy meals for all students and to expand funding for other programs that combat child food insecurity. We are particularly proud of the progress made by Appleseed Centers across the country this year!
- New Mexico Appleseed saw the Universal School Meals bill signed into law after more than a decade of advocacy. The legislation will invest $30 million to provide free breakfast and lunch to an additional 70,000 students across the state beginning in the 2023-2024 school year.
- Massachusetts Appleseed, as a proud member of the Feed Kids Coalition led by anti-hunger organization Project Bread, celebrated the passage of permanent Universal School Meals, ensuring over 80,000 additional students can continue to have access to nutritious meals.
- Hawai’i Appleseed and their coalition partners won a higher federal reimbursement rate for school meals, now bringing an additional $8 million per year to the state.
These triumphs are not just policy changes; they are investments in the well-being of our children and the promise of a brighter tomorrow – a gift that keeps on giving.
Appleseed Justice Centers are additionally enhancing food access through efforts to expand the Community Eligibility Provisions (CEP) program, a pivotal initiative that allows high-poverty schools and school districts to offer free meals to all students, irrespective of their income. As of October 2023, schools and districts can opt into CEP by demonstrating that 25% or more of enrolled students meet specific criteria, such as being unhoused, in foster care, or eligible for certain public benefits like SNAP or TANF. For years, Appleseed Centers have collaborated with state agencies and school districts, effectively advocating for increased participation in CEP.
As we usher in the new year, the momentum from this year’s incredible victories fills our hearts with hope. Below are more ways that Appleseed Centers are fighting to keep kids fed:
- Kansas Appleseed is advocating for eliminating child hunger with solutions like expanding CEP, fully subsidizing students’ meals and adopting Universal School Meals for All. Their recent report detailing the burden of meal debt on Kansas families found that school meal debt in the state has risen from $4.45 million prior to the pandemic to a whopping $23.5 million.
- Nebraska Appleseed’s Food & Nutrition Access team is working with partners to make universal free meals a reality in Nebraska. To move closer to that goal, legislative priorities include expanding CEP, and ensuring all kids get meals no matter their account balance. Their 2022 report on School Nutrition Equity maps nutrition equity across all Nebraska public schools and provides solutions to minimize barriers.
- Hawai’i Appleseed published Feed Our Keiki: The missed opportunity of federal child nutrition programs in 2022, resulting in the successful push for a higher federal reimbursement rate. Now, Universal Free School Meals is one of Hawai’i Appleseed’s 2024 legislative priorities.
In the spirit of the holidays, let’s continue spreading joy, hope, and nourishment. Your support has been instrumental in making these achievements possible. From our Appleseed family to yours, we wish you a season filled with warmth, joy, and the knowledge that, together, we’re making a real difference for kids in need.
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