As the Michigan State Legislature deliberates on its budget, it is critically important to include healthy school meals for all that will ensure every public elementary and secondary student in the state has access to school breakfast and lunch at no cost. The following is a joint statement from Mayor Valerie Kindle (Harper Woods), Mayor Andy Schor (Lansing), Mayor Christopher Taylor (Ann Arbor), Mayor Abdullah Hammoud (Dearborn), and Mayor Susan Soderstrom (Grand Blanc), who currently represent Michigan as members of the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger.
“Our offices are on the frontlines of responding to challenges in our communities, and as mayors, we need every option available to fight childhood hunger. That’s why we support the inclusion of school meals for all in the budget.
School meals are a critical lifeline for kids and their families. They are essential for the 1 in 7 children who live with hunger in Michigan today.
We know school meals help students get the fuel they need, but the benefits don’t stop there. When kids have access to consistent, nutritious food through school meals, they can focus on learning and not their empty stomachs. They’re healthier, better able to focus in the classroom, and miss fewer days of school. And when every child has access to a healthy school meal at no cost, it leads to improved equity statewide.
This program will also help to ensure these critical meals are high-quality and nutritious, supporting schools in new efforts to serve local, fresh, and nourishing food that is reflective of students’ diverse cultural backgrounds.”