Change Your World Week Winter 2023 (Archived)

Imagine that feeling you had when your card declined or wouldn't swipe because of no fault of your own with a line of people behind you waiting for their turn. Now imagine a child having this same feeling because they didn't qualify for free lunch, or their parents forgot to load their lunch account. Being denied due to a negative balance, racking up debt in the 3rd grade  and just so embarrassed that they didn't eat at all. 

No child should have to worry about having nutrition available to them while trying to focus on their academics. The mental, emotional, and social struggles these children are taking away from becoming the best versions of themselves. We have to change that, support and advocate for universal free meals for all children. #NoLunchDebt #UniversalMealsForALL 

6 months post pandemic:  Nutrition Association reported $19.2 Million dollars in accumulated school lunch debt since the pandemic ended and the government canceled universal free meals. 

• Households that earn >$18hr collectively, PAY UP!
• There is a 23.1% decrease in participation where universal free meal programs don't exist. 
• Once a negative balance is present, an alternative lunch is offered or no lunch at all. 

Watch this short video where they explain how one school district substitutes any students lunch with a sunflower and butter sandwich instead of hot lunch if they carry a lunch debt. 

Some states have already implemented universal free meals, community eligibility programs and other forms of participation to ensure all children are nourished. 

California attacked this effort and saw a significant increase in meal participation and some notable challenges to consider when implementing. 

Advocate and bring awareness for our state to make a change by:

• Sharing data from your local school
• Paying off another child’s debt if you are capable.
• Post/Share using hashtags #NoLunchDebt #UniversalMealsForALL
• Organizations like School Lunch Fairy are designed to allow you to make a small donation to cover lunch for children who do not qualify. Donate directly or call up a local school and offer to cover a student's lunch debt and share your story with a hashtag, Click the link below.
• Be a Lunch Fairy!
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• Right here in our own state our governor is pushing for universal meals for all public-school students. At the price of $160 million into Governor Whitmer’s budget plan, no matter what side of the aisle, most voters are in favor of universal free meals. 
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• Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist says that universal free meals would save families $850 annually right here in MICHIGAN.
• Michigan's Plans
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Ruffini, Krista. “Universal Access to Free School Meals and Student Achievement: Evidence from the Community Eligibility Provision.” Journal of Human Resources, vol. 57, no. 3, May 2022, pp. 777–820. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.delta.edu/10.3368/jhr.57.3.0518-9509R3.

Zuercher, Monica D., et al. “Providing School Meals to All Students Free of Charge during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Challenges and Benefits Reported by School Foodservice Professionals in California.” Nutrients, vol. 14, no. 18, Sept. 2022. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.delta.edu/10.3390/nu14183855.

Audio, Produced by Zibby. “Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books: Rex Ogle, Free Lunch on Apple Podcasts.” Apple Podcasts, 10 Sept. 2019, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rex-ogle-free-lunch/id1366633318?i=1000449230471.

Bohner, Steven. “Gov. Whitmer Proposes Free Breakfast, Lunch for Michigan Public School Students.” WZZM13.Com, WZZM, 6 Mar. 2023, https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/education/gov-whitmer-proposes-free-breakfast-lunch-michigan-public-school-students/69-7026e2f5-070d-4731-bd88-cf879513593b