Take Action Now: Urge Your U.S. House Representative to Sign
Congressional Letter for Free Healthy School Meals for All
Join The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) in urging House Representatives to sign the Dear Colleague letter here calling for free healthy school meals for all students, led by Representative Gottheimer.
During the pandemic, Congress and USDA took immediate action to allow schools to offer free meals to all students. For more than two years, our country had the opportunity to pilot nationwide free school meals and it was a resounding success. Free school meals for all supports nutrition and academic achievement, reduces the stigma associated with school meals and eases school nutrition operations.
Some states decided they did not want to go back to a tiered-payment system. California, Maine and Colorado have passed policies to make free school meals available to all students as a permanent part of the school day and many more are poised to follow suit. But all children, regardless of the state where they reside, would benefit from free school meals and we need to make this a nationwide reality.
Rep. Gottheimer’s call for free school meals for all in the FY 2024 appropriations bill would be a gamechanger for students, families and schools. It would ensure that all students are hunger-free and ready to get the most out of their school day. Please ask your U.S. Representative to add their name to the letter. The deadline for signatures is this Friday, March 17.
For any questions, please reach out to Crystal FitzSimons, cfitzsimons@frac.org, or Alexis Bylander, abylander@frac.org.
