South Windsor HAT Presents: “Hunger in South Windsor”

Recently, the South Windsor Hunger Action Team (HAT) recorded a presentation at Town Hall on Hunger in South Windsor. Town Council member, Dr. M. Saud Anwar, began the presentation by discussing the scope of the problem of hunger in South Windsor. Beatrice Maslowski, a Community Network Builder at Foodshare, educated listeners on Foodshare’s role in South Windsor due to partnerships with The Bridge, Mobile Foodshare, and the South Windsor HAT. She noted that currently 13.5% of South Windsor’s students are eligible for free/reduced-cost meals, and that number has increased 48% over the last ten years. 

Dr. M. Saud Anwar, Beatrice Maslowski, Pastor Randall Pekari, Dr. Andy Paterna, & Andrea Cofracesco

Pastor Randall Pekari spoke passionately about witnessing food insecurity and why Our Savior Lutheran Church wanted to open The Bridge, South Windsor’s newest pantry. The Bridge provides food and gently used clothing to anyone in need. Dr. Andy Paterna followed with information on the South Windsor Food Alliance and their work with the South Windsor Farmers Market, school gardens at four schools, healthy community workshop series, and supporting the town community gardens. 

Andrea Cofrancesco of South Windsor Human Services, provided insight into the services available to South Windsor residents including: a client choice food pantry, Meals on Wheels, Congregate Lunch at the Senior Center, fuel assistance, case management, transportation assistance, WIC and SNAP referrals, along with youth and senior services.  The presentation ended with a discussion on accessing services and the need for donations and volunteers.


For information on Hunger Action Teams, please contact Beatrice Maslowski.

Upcoming Hartford Food Issues Community Meetings

The Hartford Advisory Commission on Food Policy, will be hosting a Food Issues Community Meeting at  various Hartford locations during the summer months.

Hartford residents are encouraged to attend to share their experiences with school meals, grocery stores, SNAP, and other topics.

Click on flyer below for more details.

Finding a Solution to School Shaming

"Far too often in school cafeterias across the country, a student is served a lunch, only for it to be thrown away because he or she does not have money in the lunch account or in hand to pay for the meal. Some school districts also reportedly stamp children’s hands or make them wear stickers that say “I need lunch money” — ostensibly to remind a parent or guardian to put funds in a student’s lunch account.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is requiring school districts to establish a policy by July 1 for the 2017–2018 school year for how to handle situations when students do not have money to pay for their meal. Alternatively, states can set a policy for all school districts to follow, or set guidelines that local policies must meet. Though USDA has not prescribed what school districts can and cannot do, this is an important opportunity for states, school administrators, advocates and other stakeholders to establish policies that protect children and prevent stigma in the cafeteria."



Source: The Hill, 5/11/17, Read More >

School Lunch Quality Affects Academic Achievement

In 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. The main goal of the law was to raise the minimum nutritional standards for public school lunches served as part of the National School Lunch Program. The policy discussion surrounding the new law centered on the underlying health reasons for offering more nutritious school lunches, in particular, concern over the number of children who are overweight...

Surprisingly, the debate over the new law involved very little discussion as to whether providing a more nutritious school lunch could improve student learning.

A new study attempts to fill this gap, measuring the effect of offering healthier public school lunches on end of year academic test scores for public school students in California.

It finds that when a school contracts with a company that provides healthier lunches, students score better on end-of-year academic tests than those in schools that contract for less healthier meals...

Test scores are also 40% higher for students who qualify for reduced-price or free school lunches."


Source: Brookings Institution, 5/3/17, Quality School Meals

Northeastern School Kids Get More Local Food

"Farm-to-school programs serve locally or regionally produced foods (two common definitions being foods produced within 50 miles or within the State) in school meals in many school districts. According to the USDA’S Farm to School Census, 35% of U.S. school districts reported serving local food in school meals during the 2011-12 school year.

About 19% of school districts, containing 30% of American school children, served at least one locally sourced food item daily. Milk, fruit, and vegetables were the most frequently served locally produced foods. USDA’s analysis revealed that districts in the Northeast were 28 percentage points more likely to serve local foods daily than those in the Southwest; districts in cities were 11 percentage points more likely than those in rural areas to do so; and districts with 5,000 or more students were 9 percentage points more likely to do so compared to districts with under 5,000 students. Serving local foods daily in school cafeterias was also more common in states with more legislated policies supporting farm-to-school programs."

Source: USDA, 5/1/17, Farm-to-School

Celebrity Chef Seeks to End Hunger in USA

Rachel Martin of NPR's Morning Edition recently spoke with celebrity chef and hunger advocate,Tom Colicchio to discuss hunger related issues described below:

"An estimated 13.1 million kids live in homes with insufficient food, according to the most recent figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And the number of college students struggling with hunger has prompted more campuses to open food pantries.

Seniors and people with disabilities also suffer from hunger, and federal money for programs like Meals on Wheels may face cuts under President Trump's proposed budget."

Source: NPR, 5/1/17, Read More >

Community Eligibility Continues to Grow

The Community Eligibility Provision allows high-needs schools and districts with high concentrations of low-income students to offer free meals to all students, and eliminates the need for household school meal applications. In the 2016–2017 school year, the third year of the program’s availability nationwide, the number of participating high-needs schools continues to grow.

More than 9.7 million children in 20,721 schools and 3,538 school districts are participating and have access to breakfast and lunch at no charge each school day through community eligibility. This represents an increase of 2,500 schools and 1.2 million children over the 2015–2016 school year.

In Connecticut, 21 of the 46 school districts eligible to participate in the program (45.7%) are doing so, just about the national average. Over 75% of the schools in those participating districts are providing free meals to all, well above the national rate (54.7%).


Source: Food Research Action Council, 3/27, Community Eligibility

FRAC Releases School Breakfast Toolkit for Principals

"School breakfast participation tends to be lower in middle and high schools than in elementary schools, and as a result, fewer teens are benefiting from the improved educational and health outcomes linked to school breakfast. Barriers such as hectic morning schedules, late bus arrivals, and social stigma contribute to this trend.

To help principals increase school breakfast participation among teens, FRAC and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) partnered to release the Secondary School Principals’ Breakfast After the Bell Toolkit."

Source: FRAC, 4/2017, Learn More >

'Lunch Shaming' Will Soon Be Regulated

"Every day in this country students come to school without a way to pay for lunch. Right now it's up to the school to decide what happens next.

With policies to handle unpaid meals all over the map, the USDA, which administers the federal school meal program, will soon require that all school districts have a policy on what to do when kids can't pay — a growing problem.

By July 1, those policies must be in writing and communicated to staff, parents and the community."

Source: NPR, 4/17/7, Read More >

It’s Cool to Eat Breakfast in Wethersfield Schools

Wethersfield High School students recently hosted their first school breakfast event at Charles Wright Elementary School. Carissa, our Communications VISTA, had the pleasure of attending:

Wethersfield HAT members from left to right include Christina Morra-Tiu, Principal Glenn Horter, Monique Gardon, Joanna Morillo, Beatrice Maslowski, and Chef Jamie Davies

I walked into Charles Wright Elementary with one of Foodshare’s Community Network Builders, Beatrice Maslowski, who facilitates the Wethersfield Hunger Action Team. As a teacher guided us down to the cafeteria, Bea explained that the children made clay bowls for an Empty Bowls project. Their creations lined the halls, showcased on window sills and in display cases.

Upon entering the cafeteria, Principal Glenn Horter welcomed us warmly. Chef Jamie Davies from Chartwells and his team were already preparing a delicious feast of fresh fruit, milk, egg sandwiches, cereal, French toast, and hash browns. The walls mimicked the day’s theme of healthy meals, including a bulletin board showcasing a superhero. The children began to file in with their brightly colored backpacks in tow. Mrs. Doris Duggins, Monique Gardon, and the rest of their sociology class began to set up their materials after a walk from Wethersfield High School.

Mrs. Duggins wanted to help food insecure students in the area by having her students lead presentations and activities to encourage school breakfast. Monique took this initiative to heart, coming up with a strategy, discussing her ideas with the Wethersfield Hunger Action Team, and encouraging her classmates to join her.

Principal Horter enthusiastically introduced the guests to the children, and Monique explained the agenda: one grade would play games while the other would eat breakfast, and then they would switch rooms in about 25 minutes. The sociology students led activities intended to get the fifth and sixth graders thinking about healthy choices, the importance of breakfast, and nutrition. While the children ate, they watched a skit written by Daniel Lopez of the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. Giggles filled the room as “Banana Boy” jumped out to inform “Jimmy” not to be afraid to try new foods and not to skip breakfast. To see so many children enjoying themselves and get a nutritious meal was inspiring.

I recently learned that the experience of volunteering is just as important to the individuals donating their time as it is to the cause. I listened to the presenters talk about their favorite parts of the morning while eating their own breakfasts. Watching Mrs. Duggins interact with her students was heartwarming. The class then packed up and headed back to school, and I drove back to Foodshare with a light heart and hope for the continued success of this program.

You can view photos and videos from that wonderful morning. Learn more about Foodshare Hunger Action Teams, and how you can get involved!

No Meals May Mean No Snow Days

"When school districts decide to stay open during inclement weather, many parents assume that it relates to the roads.

But there’s another reason schools are reluctant to grant snow days: Their students may have little to eat at home. According to the Agriculture Department, 20 million students receive free lunch, and 11.7 million receive free breakfast, at school."



Source: The Washington Post, 3/15/17, Learn More>

Millions of Kids in U.S Go To School Hungry

"Unfortunately, for over 13 million kids in this country, going to school hungry is the norm. [They] live in food insecure households, which means they lack consistent access to enough food."

Lucy Melcher, Director of Advocacy and Government relations for Share Our Strength, publicly conveyed the following details on this issue: “There are food insecure and hungry kids in every Congressional district and every demographic.” 

Melcher views food as a basic necessity for students, recognizing the impact of hunger on a student's ability to learn within the classroom.

Source: The Washington Post,03/09/17, Hungry Students In U.S

National School Breakfast Week

This week, March 6-10, marks the celebration of  school breakfast for children across the nation.

National School Breakfast week is a campaign that was launched in 1989 to raise awareness of the availability of the School Breakfast Program to all children.  During this week, schools put their breakfast programs on display through exciting contests and promotions.

This year's theme is Take The School Breakfast Challenge. Its purpose is to encourage students, staff and school officials to increase their participation in school breakfast.

School Breakfast Reaches Record Numbers

"A record number of low-income children are now eating breakfast at school, but the policy most credited with boosting their numbers may be on the chopping block under the Trump Administration.

According to the latest School Breakfast Scorecard, an annual report released Tuesday by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), school breakfast participation among low-income kids grew 3.7 percent in the 2015-2016 school year. More than 12 million low-income kids now eat breakfast at school, up almost 50 percent from 10 years ago.

Advocates chalk up that growth, in large part, to the expansion of the Community Eligibility Provision, an Obama-era program that remains unpopular with many Republicans. Under CEP, schools or school districts where 40 percent of the student body directly qualifies for free meals (via food stamps or other nutrition assistance or welfare programs) may offer those meals free to all students. The school is then reimbursed at a variable rate, according to the percentage of low-income students."

Source: The Washington Post, 2/14/17 Read More >

Connecticut School Breakfast Participation Jumps

Over 100,000 Connecticut students participated in the national School Breakfast Program (SBP) every day during the 2015-16 school year, and 85% of them did so for free or at a reduced price. Connecticut was among the top-ranked states last year for increasing the percentage of its low-income students participating in the SBP.

Nearly 8,000 more children ate breakfast at school in the 2015-16 school year than the year before. Although that was a 10% rise in participation, only 51% of those eligible for free or reduced-price lunches eat breakfast in school, which places the state among the bottom third of states (33rd).

The rise in student participation came despite the state being near the bottom of states (49th) in terms of the percentage of eligible schools participating in the program.

Source: Food Research & Action Center, 2/14/17, School Breakfast in CT

Check out how Foodshare is working to connect kids with meal programs right here in Greater Hartford, and learn how you can get involved!

Metropolitan AME Zion Church Show of Support

This month, the Metropolitan AME Zion Church in Hartford, held their Christmas Concert to benefit Foodshare. Our President and CEO, James Arena-DeRosa had the opportunity to speak with attendees about our work, sharing how fellow church members could stay involved in fighting hunger here at home.

Thanks to to their overwhelming generosity, we will be able to provide over 3,000 meals for our hungry neighbors this winter and get people connected with longer-term support through programs like SNAP, school breakfast and lunch programs.

Thank you Metropolitan AME Zion for supporting Foodshare this holiday season!

School Meals May Turn Organic

"Every year the National School Lunch Program spends almost $13 billion to feed over 30 million children. For years, school leaders and community activists have been working to improve the food purchased with those public dollars. Now advocates have a new tool to help achieve just such a lofty goal: It’s called the Good Food Purchasing Policy and after its successful passage in 2012 by the Los Angeles Unified School District and the city of LA, school districts and cities across the country are exploring its possibilities for shaping how public food, like school lunch, is procured.

The policy is similar to LEED certification, only for food instead of buildings.

Under the policy, suppliers must meet basic criteria across five values: supporting local economies; promoting health; providing a safe and healthy workplace and fair wages; protecting animal welfare; and promoting environmental sustainability."

Source: Alternet, 1/18/17,  Learn More...

College Tuition Causes Hunger Amongst Students

"A recent study of nearly 4,000 students in 12 states, released in October, found almost half of students faced some form of food insecurity in the last 30 days. The findings were worse for first generation college students and students of color, with more than half of each group reporting they experienced food insecurity.

The high cost of college, which has increased far more quickly than median family incomes, is taking a toll on students’ health, well-being, and success. According to a Fusion issues 2016 poll, 40% of 18 to 35-year-olds said they took out at least one loan to pay for school."

Source: Fusion,12/12/16, View Article >

No to Expansion of School Meals

"A bipartisan U.S. Senate bill that would have made changes to the $22 billion federal program that distributes free and reduced-priced meals in schools is officially dead, according to bill sponsor Pat Roberts, Republican U.S. senator from Kansas.

The school lunch, breakfast, and summer meal programs will continue to operate under the policies set in 2010 under the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act."

Source: KBIA, 12/8/16, Read Full Article >

Andover, Columbia, Hebron, Marlborough (ACHM) Hunger Action Team Tackles School Breakfast

Bea and ACHM Hunger Action Team

Beginning in 2015, CT became 47th State in the nation for the percentage of schools participating in School Breakfast. This comes after years of CT being in last place. Foodshare President and CEO, James Arena-DeRosa, has made increasing school breakfast participation a priority since his arrival at Foodshare on August 31, 2015, with Foodshare's Hunger Action Teams (HATs) working to improve participation in the program. When the Andover, Columbia, Hebron, Marlborough (ACHM) Hunger Action Team held their inaugural meeting in October of 2014 only one town--Andover--had a School Breakfast Program.


With the help of HAT members Dawn Crayco--formerly of End Hunger CT!, former State Representative Gayle Mulligan, and Dave Wagner from the Marlborough Food Bank, the Hunger Action Team was able to help initiate a new school breakfast program at the Marlborough Elementary School in October 2015.

Patti Buell, Director of Educational Services for Hebron Public Schools, and a new ACHM HAT member, along with members of the Hebron Board of Education including Stephanie Levin, were able to start a new Grab and Go school breakfast program in Hebron Elementary School in September 2016.

Jim Crawford from End Hunger CT! worked over the summer of 2016 with local Columbia resources, including the Superintendent of Schools--Laurence Fearon, Alyssa Gwinnell--the Principal of Horace W. Porter School, Mary Conway--Food Services Director for the Columbia School District, and Board of Education Member David Crim to start a pilot School Breakfast Program in September.

HATs off to the members of the Andover, Columbia, Hebron and Marlborough Hunger Action Team for their tireless efforts to bring the school breakfast program to all four towns. During Hunger Action Month, the ACHM HAT members participated in Foodshare's Plate Activity at the September 14th meeting. HAT members wrote on orange plates, "On an Empty Stomach, I Can't ______________" in support of the School Breakfast program.

For additional information about Foodshare's Hunger Action Teams, please visit our website at www.foodshare.org or contact one of our Community Network Builders, Beatrice Maslowski or Jim Palma at 860-286-9999.