In recognition of the important role breakfast plays in supporting academic success, No Kid Hungry California announced awarding nearly $500,000 in grants in the last year to support breakfast programs at 53 schools across California, including three schools in Los Angeles. This funding boosts Breakfast After the Bell initiatives, which increase access to school nutrition programs by bringing breakfast out of the cafeteria and making it part of the school day.
“We are tackling child hunger in California one step at a time, and with the help of these grants, more students are eating breakfast at school every day,” said No Kid Hungry California Director Kathy Saile. “No Kid Hungry California is committed to expanding and strengthening Breakfast After the Bell programs, and we’re thrilled to support and partner with so many schools across California that are helping kids start their day with a healthy meal.”
Since 2017, the following schools in the region have received breakfast grants from No Kid Hungry:
Emma W. Shuey Elementary
LA Promise Charter High School
LA Promise Charter Middle School
One in six children in California live in families that struggle with hunger. Research shows that hunger has long-term ramifications, including lower test scores, weaker attendance rates, and a higher risk of hospitalizations and chronic diseases. In contrast, eating breakfast at school helps children improve classroom performance, increases attendance, and promotes healthy habits.
Breakfast After the Bell provides breakfast in a way that is more convenient and accessible to students, resulting in increased student participation. Since accessing traditional cafeteria breakfast service can be challenging for many kids, No Kid Hungry California and its partners focus on Breakfast After the Bell as a critical way to end childhood hunger in across the state.
In addition to providing local breakfast grants, No Kid Hungry California also advocates for anti-hunger policies in Sacramento. In 2017, with No Kid Hungry’s support, California enacted Senate Bill 138 (McGuire), which automatically certifies students for free and reduced-price meals using existing Medi-Cal data. The measure is expected to connect nearly 800,000 low-income children with free school meals and bring approximately $15 million in federal funds to California. Earlier this year, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law AB 3043 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto), which allows schools to use their cafeteria funds to offer Universal Breakfast, a program that provides a nutritious breakfast at no charge to all students. No Kid Hungry also helped announce plans for a child hunger caucus within the California State Legislature to increase attention on issues relating to food insecurity.