U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack joined Virginia’s governor and first lady to announce an $8.8 million federal grant for an anti-hunger initiative in some of the state’s high-poverty schools.
The demonstration project will provide students in selected schools with breakfast, lunch, and after-school supper—as well as non-perishable food to take home on weekends and breaks.
The goal is to provide all meals to students every day for a year, and their families will also receive $60 for nutrition each month. First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe said 300,000 Virginia children are food insecure.
“And we can’t expect Virginia’s children to be hungry for knowledge if they are just plain hungry.”
Vilsack added that good childhood nutrition is essential for workforce training to be globally competitive and for health reasons.
“If we don’t address this issue comprehensively, then these youngsters will be faced with a series—a long-term series—of chronic diseases and illnesses that they’ll take into adult life.”
He said it’s also crucial for national security—to enable young people to be sufficiently fit to join the military. The project will be implemented in Richmond and seven Southwest Virginia school divisions.
State officials hope to win additional grants and expand the number of locations in the future.