GUEST BLOG: Getting Healthy School Meals to All Kiddos

Hi everyone!! Hannah here!! I am so happy to be back this month to talk to you guys! This month we are going to be talking H.R. 7887, also known as, the Pandemic Child Hunger Prevention Act.

This act provides universal meals to ensure that all students get two healthy meals every school day, regardless of their ability to pay and regardless of what the new school structure looks like. In these uncertain times, universal meals reduce the burden on families and schools, remove the stigma of children participating in the program, and provide equitable access to healthy meals. This act is crucial for children all across America and their families.

The United States was struggling with child hunger long before COVID-19. But, the pandemic has made this heartbreaking problem even worse! School meal programs were hit extremely hard by the pandemic and are facing an existential financial crisis. School closures led to a very steep decline in revenues for programs that already operate on a tight budget! Universal meals allow school food service programs a steady income so they can recover from economic downturn and focus on their primary function: feeding children healthy meals. Without congressional action, schools may be forced to lay off staff or discontinue their meal programs, leaving low-income children without nutritious meals at school.

This bill can lead to amazing things all over the country:

• All enrolled students at schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program will receive free school meals during the 2020-2021 school year
• Combined with USDA’s non-congregate waiver, schools can adjust their service to feed children learning remotely, in a hybrid model, or in the classroom rather than the cafeteria
• Schools and non-profit community partners will be able to serve additional meals and snacks through either the Summer Food Program, Seamless Summer, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, or the NSLP Afterschool Snack Program without having to certify each individual child

We have the responsibility to inform people of this vital piece of legislation. It is so easy to contact your Representatives and ask for their support for H.R. 7887 because the AHA is all about making advocacy easy and impactful. Simply CLICK HERE. The times we are living in are so stressful and the last thing a child should have to worry about is where their next meal will come from! The most important thing for students returning to school is to focus on their education and overall mental health. Children and their families have already faced enough inconsistency since COVID-19 hit. The Pandemic Child Hunger Prevention Act will relieve some of the financial burden from families while bringing feeding programs out of a financial crisis. H.R. 7887 is the perfect way to make sure children are being fed, even if they cannot attend in-person classes. Please support this legislation even if you are not personally affected by school feeding programs.

I am so, so, so happy to be able to talk to you all about this pressing piece of legislation and I hope you will all support it like I do!! As always, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading this month. I am always so thankful for each and every one of you guys. Catch you next month!

All my love,

Hannah Walker