The deadline to register for the Summit has been extended to 4 pm on Thursday, April 26*
~Sponsored by CT No Kid Hungry~
Please join us to learn about the federal School Breakfast Program and how it can foster continued excellence and academic achievement in your students and schools! Hear from national and state experts on how to start, expand, and advocate for School Breakfast in your school or community.
Audience: School Administrators, Teachers, Community Members, Food Service Directors, and School Nurses.
Registration Details:
Fee: $15 per person (meals provided)**
SNA CEUs: 5.0/ SDE CEUs: 0.5
SPEAKERS: JAMES ARENA-DEROSA, Northeast Regional Administrator USDA Food and Nutrition Service; DAYLE HAYES, Award-winning author, educatorand nutrition coach, MADELEINE LEVIN Senior Policy Analyst Food Research Action Center
Topics will include:
• Overcoming challenges and barriers
• Steps to getting school breakfast started
• Funding opportunities and financial impact
• Creative breakfast service and increasing program participation
• Reaching out to families
*Onsite registration may be available, but space is limited, so register by April 26 to reserve your seat.
Partners
Connecticut School Breakfast Expansion Team
School Nutrition Association of Connecticut
End Hunger Connecticut!
New England Dairy & Food Council
Food Research and Action Center
Connecticut State Department of Education
Connecticut Department of Administrative Services
Today was a great day in New Haven and America! We celebrated the roll out of 33 salad bars in New Haven and because of the commitment of Whole Foods Market and Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools there are now 1,000 salad bars in schools with the goal of 6,000 by 2013.
As I was surrounded by our school children this morning in the school garden at Barnard Environmental Studies Magnet School I was able to speak enthusiastically about just how great these salad bars in our schools will be. The students That joined me at the podium also offered their support for the salad bars. Smiling face on kids when we talk about fresh veggies is priceless.
The speakers at the media event were great, Ken Meyers from Whole Foods raved about how beautiful our school garden and thanked us for our commitment to feeding our children good foods. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro was energetic as always and praised us all for the work that we do, and our Superintendent of Schools Dr. Reginald Mayo spoke about the real potential salad bars bring to schools…healthy kids ready to learn! Most importantly for me today was the kids, our students love to show off their garden knowledge and skills to any and everyone. They were digging potatoes to show off to the Congresswoman and they were giving garden tours to anyone who asked. Their enthusiasm for fresh vegetables is second to none.
Dr. Judy Palfrey, Executive Director of Let’s Move! offered these words of encouragement through an email letter: "Due to the hard work of these leaders, 1000 schools have salad bars that did not have them this time last year. That means thousands of kids are making salads with vegetables and fruits everyday. Studies show that salad bars in schools increase vegetable and fruit consumption which is critical for improving the health of kids. I applaud the work that this coalition is doing and look forward to many more salad bars in schools in the year ahead."
Following the media event we joined the students for lunch in the cafeteria and encouraged the children to "Make a Rainbow" of vegetables on their plate. The words of encouragement were quickly drowned out by the excitement of the children to dig into the Brown Rice Salad, loaded with black beans, carrots, spinach, red and yellow peppers that joined the more traditional salad bar offerings of salad mix, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and green peppers. Kids getting excited about fresh vegetables and cold brown rice salad...this is good stuff!
Despite the claims from other that salad bars are unhealthy and not safe for children to dine at; I disagree. Schools are educational environments, naturally a place to teach children how to eat at a salad bar safely and sanitary. Now is the time to educate our children and continue to increase access to real foods.
Our salad bar program is designed to be user friendly and simple, but simple does not mean boring or lack of nutritious items. Traditional salad bar offerings of romaine salad mix, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and green peppers will be the staples. They will be joined on a rotating basis by roasted broccoli salad, baby spinach, black bean & tomato salad, roasted sweet potato & black bean salad, garbanzo bean salad, quinoa salad and various other heathful choices. The salad bar will also allow us to turn a plain taco day into a more exciting day by offering many fresh vegetable toppings. The only offerings we will not have on the salad bar will be fruit, pasta salads and mayonnaise based salads. While these items still may be nutritious we want to encouraged the children to increase their palate by eating vegetables in a more natural state.
Thank you to the generous support of Whole Foods, Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools, United Fresh Produce Association, National Fruit & Vegetable Alliance and the Lunch Box for your commitment to the students in New Haven Public Schools!
New Haven Public Schools give school lunches healthy makeover
Whole Foods Market® and Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools donate 33 salad bars; Host “Make a Rainbow Day” to get kids excited about making healthier food choices
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (Sept. 27, 2011)— New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) will now offer more fresh fruits and vegetables in the lunchroom with the addition of 33 salad bars in schools. Through shopper donations from Whole Foods Market’s Salad Bar Project, a fundraising campaign created to help schools invest in their students’ health and bring more fruits and vegetables to the cafeteria, and Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools, every elementary school in the district will receive a salad bar grant.
To celebrate the lunchroom makeovers and get students excited about digging into the new colorful, healthy options, Chef Tim Cipriano, executive director of food services for NHPS and Superintendent Dr. Reginald Mayo, will host Make a Rainbow Day with students. Guests of honor will include Whole Kids Foundation Board Member, Ken Meyer, “Renegade Lunch Lady,” Chef Ann Cooper; and representatives from Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools.
Following a brief press conference in their school garden, Barnard Environmental Studies Magnet School students will head to the lunchroom to see their new salad bar for the “Make a Rainbow” challenge. During this event, students will taste their way through a delicious lesson on the power of eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, and then put their knowledge to the test in a challenge to create their own “rainbow” from the salad bar.
"New Haven continues to lead the country with school food and school reform. I see no better way to celebrate our school children than to actively promote the consumption of fresh vegetable through our salad bars,” said Cipriano. “Increasing access to healthy foods for our kids is a top priority. We are educating and feeding hungry kids in our schools."
The salad bar kits include a five-well Cambro® salad bar complete with utensils, pan inserts, chilling pads and training tools. Together, Whole Foods Market and Let’s Move Salad Bars have put over 800 salad bars in schools with the goal of 6,000 by 2013.
“The New Haven Public School district is receiving one of the largest salad bar grant donation to date and we applaud Chef Cipriano and his team for being so committed and accepting of this program. We hope it inspires other schools to take action and apply for grants,” said Meyer. “On behalf of the Whole Kids Foundation, we’ll continue to work hard to provide funds for salad bars and we challenge other businesses and organizations get involved in this effort and help fund salad bars in school lunchrooms across the country.”
Of the nearly 20,800 students enrolled in NHPS, 80 percent qualify for free or reduced lunches. Last year, the district served over 5 million meals to students. NHPS salad bars will feature a variety of locally-sourced fresh foods that Cipriano has helped source through Farm to School and other healthy eating initiatives. For a full list of New Haven Public Schools that will receive salad bars, visit: http://www.nhps.net/node/416.
When: Sept. 27, 2011
10:30 am: press conference
11:00 am: “Make a Rainbow Day” event with students
About Salad Bar Project and Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools:
In 2010, shoppers donated more than $1.4 million during a seven-week fundraising campaign to improve school lunches through the Salad Bar Project, which helped fund 570 salad bars in schools across the country. Whole Foods Market joined forces with F3 (Food Family Farming Foundation) a second year to help bring fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy proteins to school lunch programs through an online grant process. To make an even larger impact in lunchrooms across the country, Whole Foods Market also became a founding partner of Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools, whose goal is to provide 6,000 school salad bars across the nation by 2013.
About Whole Foods Market®
Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com, NASDAQ: WFM) is the leading natural and organic food retailer. As America’s first national certified organic grocer, Whole Foods Market was named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” by Health magazine. The company's motto “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures its mission to ensure customer satisfaction and health, Team Member excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Thanks to the company’s nearly 60,000 Team Members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine for 14 consecutive years. In fiscal year 2010, the company had sales of more than $9 billion and currently has more than 300 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Thanks to United Way, New Haven School Food is going mobile with a new food truck that will serve kids throughout the city free healthy and nutritious meals this summer.
New Haven School Food unveiled the truck today at a dedication ceremony. NHPS Executive Director of Food Services Chef Tim Cipriano praised United Way of Greater New Haven for providing the funds to buy the truck.
“I want to thank United Way for its generosity in donating the money to purchase this food truck,” Cipriano said. “Thanks to United Way, we will bring good food directly to kids this summer and in future summers. This truck was certainly a team effort and the idea stems from a manager meeting a few years back where one of the managers from my team, Aisha Flynn, mentioned how cool it would be to have a converted ice cream truck to pass out meals to underserved neighborhoods. The truck today is where that vision has taken us.”
“Good nutrition is an essential building block for healthy growth and development and educational success. Often, the biggest barrier for kids and teens to participate in the free summer meals program is not being able to get to where they served. Embracing Gov. Malloy’s Connecticut No Kid Hungry Campaign charge - “We’ve got to make this work for everybody. We’re going to make this work in Connecticut.”- United Way and New Haven School Food are tackling the transportation barrier by bringing meals to where kids and teens live.”
United Way’s Summer Food Truck grant will enable NHPS to deliver two free meals a weekday – 1,000 free meals a day – to children living in underserved neighborhoods throughout New Haven. Federal funds will pay for the program.
New Haven School Food and United Way are partners in the Connecticut No Kid Hungry Campaign, an initiative to end childhood hunger in Connecticut by 2015 led by Gov. Dannel Malloy, End Hunger Connecticut! and Share Our Strength. This is the first food truck to serve free summer meals to children and teens in Connecticut.
Almost one in five Connecticut households with children -- 18.7% -- struggle to put food on the table, meaning more than 127,000 children in the state are considered food insecure. More than 75% of New Haven students qualified for free and reduced price school meals in 2010. However, of students enrolled in school meals programs, only one in four received meals last year through the federally-funded Summer Food Service Program.
“Kids and teens do not stop needing healthy meals when school is out,” Cipriano said. “In fact, summer can be one of the toughest times for families who rely on school food programs to make ends meet. Thank you to the United Way and Lt. Governor Wyman for sharing this historic day with us.”
The truck will be hitting the streets soon, just some last minute adjustments needed and it will be on the road! Here is the plan of sites and times once service begins:
School Address Lunch Supper
Betsy Ross School 150 Kimberly Ave 10:30am-11:15am 4:00pm-4:45pm
Helene Grant School 185 Goffe Street 11:30am-12:15pm 5:00pm-5:45pm
Microsociety School 311 Valley Street 12:30pm-1:15pm 6:00pm-6:45pm
New Haven School Food Chefs are Headed Back to 2nd Grade!
Chef Timothy Cipriano, Executive Director of Food Services and a team of chefs are headed back to 2nd grade with Chefs Move to Schools, part of the First Lady’s Let’s Move Initiative.
What: Chefs Move to Schools Healthy Snack Event
When: Monday May, 16, 2011; 3:00pm
Where: Clarence Rogers School, 199 Wilmot Road, New Haven; Cafeteria
Chef Tim and a team of school food chefs will descend on Clarence Rogers School to visit the 2nd Grade students from the classes of teachers Dawn Vontz and Christina Guerra. Ms. Vontz and Ms. Guerra have been teaching the children about nutrition this year and Chef Tim and his team of chefs will prepare a healthy snack for the students. This event is geared at increasing the excitement of healthy food for the children.
“Systematic change in needed in this country to control childhood obesity and to educate our children on proper nutrition and choosing REAL foods. With the support of theCulinary Institute of America, Share Our Strength, School Nutrition Association and many other local and national organizations this change has begun. Chefs are ROCK stars; children look up to us,” says Cipriano. “When I walk into one of my schools in my chef jacket the eyes of the children light up and I am asked if I cook on TV.The children are more interested to what I have to say, it is very easy to engage children with food. Children want to learn and Chefs Move to Schools is the program to see through with the necessary change. I am very happy to be working so close with the White House to help make these changes.”
Chef Tim, recently named a ‘Champion of Change’ by the White House joined roughly 1,000 other Chefs from across the nation in June of 2010 at the White House to officially kick off Chefs Move to Schools (CMTS). CMTS asks chefs from around the country to adopt schools in their communities to work with teachers, parents and school nutrition professionals to help educate kids about food and nutrition. The goal is to promote chefs as the catalyst for creating a new nation of child food advocates.
DAVIS STREET SCHOOL TAKES CMT TESTS TO A NEW LEVEL
Davis Street School Connects CMT’s with CMT’s (Chefs Move To Schools)!
What: In conjunction with the end of National School Breakfast Week and the Connecticut Mastery Test; Davis Street School teamed up with New Haven School Food Services to bring a dynamic program into the school. Working with Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move to Schools Program, UCONN Dietetics Program, Yale University Lacrosse Team and the School Nutrition Association’s School Breakfast Detective’s contest the children will listen to two speakers talking about the importance of physical activity and healthy eating.
Prizes will also be awarded to the students who participated and won the school level “School Breakfast Detective” Book Cover contest. The top three winners will be entered into a national contest.
Agenda:
Hot Healthy Breakfast served
“The Importance of Breakfast”: Alfonso Costa, Yale Lacrosse Player
“Healthy Eating” food demo & presentation with Chef Jeff Schack
Award Ceremony for the top “School Breakfast Detective” Book Covers
On the first anniversary of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign to fight childhood obesity, New Haven Public Schools is launching an exciting health initiative, Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools!Thanks to NatureSeal and the United Fresh Produce Association Foundation, New Haven has been awarded two salad bars, which will give students an unlimited selection of fresh produce during lunch each day. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro & US Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Dr. Janey Thornton will speak with students and administrators about this initiative and join students for a trip through the salad bar. For more information on the national Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools, visit http://saladbars2schools.org/.
When: Thursday, February 3, 2011
11:00am-12:30pm
Where: Mauro-Sheridan Science, Technology and Communications School
PRESIDENT OBAMA SIGNS HEALTHY, HUNGER-FREE KIDS ACT OF 2010 INTO LAW
First Lady Michelle Obama, Administration Officials and Let’s Move! Advocates Reaffirm Commitment to Raise a Healthier Generation of Kids
“Today is a great day for kids throughout our country as they will soon have healthier, and more nutritious food in their schools. As we continue to focus on the twin issues of childhood obesity and hunger, we will increase access to good, quality meals in school cafeterias so the nutritional needs of our youngsters are better met. The President and First Lady have advocated strongly for passing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, and, this bill, along with the resources and the powers provided under it, are going to allow USDA to be much more effective and aggressive in responding to obesity and hunger challenges for America’s kids.”
- U.S. Secretary Of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
“The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act is a significant step forward in our effort to help America's children thrive and grow to be healthy adults. Thanks to the dedication of this Congress and First Lady Michelle Obama, more kids will have access to healthy, balanced, nutritious school lunches. By increasing the number of students eligible to enroll in school meal programs and improving the quality of food served, this legislation simultaneously tackles both hunger and the obesity levels currently affecting too many communities across this nation.”
-U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius
"The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act makes the most significant investment in the National School Lunch program in more than 30 years. I look forward to continuing to work with the First Lady and Secretary Vilsack to combat our national childhood obesity epidemic and increase students access to the nutritional food they need to help them learn.”
- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
“As Vice Chair of the Partnership for a Healthier America, I join President Obama and the First Lady in celebrating the signing of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. This bi-partisan legislation will significantly enhance the quality of food for our children for generations to come and is a dramatic step forward in reducing childhood obesity. As a physician, I know smart nutrition leads to healthy and productive lives. With 36.5% of our children in Tennessee being overweight, this act goes a long way in ensuring that kids in Tennessee and around the country will have the healthy nutrition they deserve.”
- U.S. Senator Bill Frist (R-TN)
“Childhood and adult obesity are national problems and growing epidemics, but the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act will help end this epidemic by improving the quality of food served to our children in schools across the nation. Here in Newark, we are defeating childhood and adult obesity, by partnering with organizations and community leaders to create local-based change that empowers families, neighborhoods and youth to embrace a healthier lifestyle. I applaud First Lady Michelle Obama’s commitment to the children of our city and across the country.”
- Mayor Cory A. Booker of Newark, New Jersey
“On behalf of Mission: Readiness and over 100 retired generals and admirals who support child nutrition legislation as a matter of national security, we are very pleased that the nation has taken this important step in addressing the nation’s obesity epidemic. Being overweight or obese is the No. 1 medical reason why young men and women are unable to join the military. Research shows that up to 40 percent of what children consume every day takes place during school hours and that 80 percent of children who were overweight between the ages of 10 to 15 were obese by age 25. The final bill includes provisions that can get junk food out of schools, nourish more kids who need healthful meals and motivate them and their parents to adopt healthful eating and exercise habits. Military concerns about the fitness of American children are not new. When the National School Lunch Act was first passed in 1946, it was seen as a matter of national security. At the time many military leaders recognized that poor nutrition was a significant factor reducing the pool of qualified candidates for service. Our country is facing another serious health crisis. Obesity rates threaten the overall health of America and the future strength of our military. We must act, as we did after World War II, to ensure that our children can one day defend our country, if need be.”
-Retired Army Generals John M. Shalikashvili and Hugh Shelton, Former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
“Congratulations to First Lady Michelle Obama, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and to the bi-partisan support in the Congress to pass the Healthy, Hunger Free Children Act. By passing a bill that addresses the nutritional quality of school lunches, an important step is being taken to give children choices that will make them healthier and more productive.”
-Mike Huckabee, Governor of Arkansas 1996-2007
“The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act makes significant progress toward ending child hunger and obesity by expanding access to federal child nutrition programs and improving the nutritional value they provide. In addition to reauthorizing federal child nutrition programs, the act will help address childhood obesity by reducing the fat and calorie content of school meals. Reversing the childhood obesity epidemic in a single generation – as First Lady Michelle Obama has called upon our nation to do – won’t be easy. It will require a long-term, sustained commitment to attacking this issue across multiple fronts. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act makes great strides toward eliminating this threat to our children's health.”
- O. Marion Burton, MD, FAAP, President, American Academy of Pediatrics
“The historic signing of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act helps schools become part of the solution to the childhood obesity epidemic. It is a victory for American parents working to make sure their kids grow up healthy, and for schools wanting to provide students with more nutritious meals and a healthier environment. With the implementation of this law, our nation's kids will be less likely to grow up with early risk factors for heart disease and stroke.”
-Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer, American Heart Association
“Today marks a major step forward in efforts to prevent both childhood obesity and hunger among our nation’s children. The signing of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act into law is a long-awaited victory for the 31 million students who participate in federal school meal programs. By giving the USDA the authority to update standards for all foods and beverages in schools, this new law says unhealthy foods have no place in our nation’s schools. And schools finally will have more resources to serve nutritious and appealing meals.”
- Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., President and CEO, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
“Getting junk food out of schools has been ten years in the making. This bill is a historic step toward reducing childhood obesity and helping parents' feed their children better. It's the result of the hard work of many, but would not have passed without this Administration. The President's leadership and First Lady's tireless advocacy brought the child nutrition bill back to life a number of times as it made its way through Congress.”
-Margo G. Wootan, Director of Nutrition Policy, Center for Science in the Public Interest
“The School Nutrition Association joins families nationwide in thanking President Obama, the First Lady and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for their sustained efforts to pass child nutrition reauthorization and expand children’s access to healthy school meals. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act recognizes the importance of school meals to the health and academic success of America’s children and gives school nutrition programs critical resources to bring more fresh produce, whole grains and low-fat dairy products into cafeterias. School nutrition professionals look forward to working with the Administration, parents, principals and community leaders to meet new nutrition standards for school meals and explore new avenues for promoting healthy lifestyles for our children.”
- Nancy Rice, M.Ed., RD, LD, SNS, President, School Nutrition Association (SNA)
“The provisions of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act will support efforts already underway in Dallas. The additional funding will help with continuing to improve our school meals and creating a healthier school environment. We appreciate the fact that child nutrition has been placed as a high priority by the First Lady and the President. New USDA meal patterns and professional standards will assure improved quality child nutrition programs for our children which in turn will support student academic performance in the classroom.”
-Dora Rivas, MS, RD, SNS, Executive Director, Food & Child Nutrition Services, Dallas Independent School District
“Our kids aren’t hungry because we lack food or because of a lack of food and nutrition programs. They are hungry because they lack access to programs that provide the nutritious food they need to grow and thrive. I would like to thank the President and First Lady for making Child Nutrition a top priority. Through their leadership and commitment we now have the first significant change in school meals in thirty years. This legislation is historic and will allow me to continue to offer more real foods to the kids in our schools.”
- Timothy Cipriano, Executive Director of Food Services, New Haven Public Schools
“The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act signals a deep commitment to our nation's children and provides increased access to the food and nutrition programs that often go underutilized. Our kids aren't hungry because we lack food or because of a lack of food and nutrition programs. They are hungry because they lack access to the nutritious food they need to grow and thrive. The First Lady’s persistence made all the difference between this legislation’s good intentions and its becoming the law of the land.”
-Bill Shore, Founder and Executive Director, Share Our Strength
“This bill is an acknowledgement that in a nation as bountiful as ours, no child should worry about when their next meal will be. We are grateful for the hard work of our coalition partners, the White House, and Congress.”
-Rabbi Steve Gutow, President, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Co-Chair Fighting Poverty with Faith
"This bill is an exciting victory for hungry children. After a largely gridlocked year, passage of this bill is a positive sign that Congress can work together in the best interests of Americans."
-Rev. Mark S. Hanson, Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
“This critical legislation ensures that more of our nation’s children have access to healthy nutritious food and reaffirms our commitment as a nation to addressing the problem of childhood hunger. It is unacceptable that one in four children in poverty in America are hungry. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 is an essential step in helping the 43.6 million American families who struggle every day to feed their children.”
- Father Larry Snyder, President, Catholic Charities USA, Co-chair Fighting Poverty with Faith
“Today's signing of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act is something to celebrate, whether you are one of the 31 million schoolchildren who stand to benefit from it, or their parents, or America’s farmers. The bill establishes sensible nutrition standards for the food sold in school that will help push the junk food out of the building and make it easier for kids to have access to a nutritious meal or snack in school. The increase in funding for school lunch may be modest, yet it is also the first such increase in sixty years—a long-overdue recognition of the importance of the school lunch program in assuring the health of our children. The bill also recognizes the value of linking farms directly to schools as a way to get the freshest, tastiest vegetables and fruits into the cafeteria—a boon to both children and local farmers. The bill represents an important achievement for the First Lady’s Let’s Move! campaign, and the First Lady and her team are to be congratulated. It is also a victory for all the grass roots organizations and activists who work so hard to improve access to healthy food for everyone. There is still much to be done, but what has happened today marks a significant step forward, toward a food system that puts the health of our children first.”
–Michael Pollan, Author and Journalism Professor
“The way we feed our children today will dictate the country we have tomorrow. This was much more than a bipartisan effort. With the First Lady’s leadership, parents, teachers, child advocates and chefs all helped to pass a bill that will provide a children with what should be a fundamental right: the right to be fed in a healthy way. While I am happy we were able to squeeze a few more dollars for school lunch programs, I think we can do better. We need to band together on these issues to make sure we don’t shortchange our kids.”
“From the First Lady’s Chefs Move to Schools initiative to the President’s Childhood Nutrition bill, the Obama Administration has instigated a much-needed attitude change towards proper nutrition. As a chef and as a mother of four, I understand the importance of providing my own children with wholesome meals and firmly believe that all of our nation’s children should be afforded the same opportunity to grow up healthy which is why this legislation is so important.”
-Cat Cora, Founder, “Chefs for Humanity” and UNICEF spokesperson
“I am pleased to support President and Mrs. Obama and the efforts of their Administration in securing healthier nutrition for this nation's children. We still have much work to do to guarantee that all Americans have access to adequate, high-quality food, but the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act is an important first step in that direction."
-Tom Colicchio, Chef/Restaurateur and Host of Top Chef
Thanks to our good friend Kristen Manicelli from CityHarvest in NYC for this update:
Hi Everyone,
I wanted to share the latest update on CNR. There was an hour debate in the House on 3307 yesterday afternoon. Republicans generally criticized the bill for increasing government spending, and Democrats generally supported it for improving nutrition and programs for kids. There were mentions of the SNAP offset from both sides: Rep McGovern said he’d work with the Administration to replace the funds, and there was criticism from the Republican side that the SNAP extension itself, and thus the portion of it used in 3307, was “borrowed money”. A number of members spoke of specific provisions in the bill. You can watch the debate in archive video at this link http://houselive.gov/.
Republicans were allowed one amendment, and Rep Kline proposed a change to the section on CACFP requiring background checks for child care workers providing meals. Because any change to the bill would require it go back to the Senate, this move was intended to prevent the bill from passage. (This is technically called a “Motion to Recommit”, or MTR, meaning ‘recommit’ the bill to committee.)
As a result of the MTR Leadership postponed the vote on 3307 until tomorrow, with a plan described in House Majority Leader Hoyer’s statement: "We will complete action on the Child Nutrition bill tomorrow. We will bring up the Republican motion to recommit as a stand alone suspension bill. After that vote, we will return to the Child Nutrition bill where we left off, voting on the motion to recommit and final passage. This will allow a good, bipartisan bill to reach the President's desk without delay."
There remains no “plan” to restore SNAP funds in the lame duck session, as many groups are calling for. (Tim's Note: Congresswoman DeLauro, in her speech on the floor of the House yesterday specifically mentioned working with the White House to restore the SNAP cuts. Click HERE for the audio)
The situation is complex and changing rapidly. Many of you have been in touch over the past days with questions, and if you haven’t but would like more information or clarification, please contact me. I am truly happy to help!
Thanks!
Kristen
_______________________
Kristen Mancinelli, MS, RD
Senior Manager, Policy and Government Relations
City Harvest
Tim's Note: KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT THE VOTE HAPPENS TODAY AND CONGRESS VOTES YES!
01:39:24 I THANK THE GENTLEMAN, AND I MIGHT JUST SAY TO THE PRIOR SPEAKER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DID NOT VOTE TO CUT FOOD FOR KIDS IN OUR COUNTRY.
01:39:46 THEY VOTED TO CUT THE TAX CUTS THAT ARE PROVIDED TO THE CORPORATE SPECIAL INTERESTS IN THIS NATION, WHICH THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE SEEMS TO HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH.
01:39:55 I RISE TODAY IN SUPPORT OF THIS RULE, THE HUNGER-FREE KIDS ACT REPRESENTS A LONG OVERDUE, A MUCH-NEEDED RECOMMITMENT TO THE HEALTH AND TO THE WELL-BEING OF OUR SCHOOLCHILDREN.
01:40:07 WE ALL KNOW THE DOUBLE-EDGE PROBLEM THAT MILLIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE CURRENTLY FACE.
01:40:13 TODAY'S KIDS ARE THREATENED BY BOTH THE GROWING OBESITY EPIDEMIC AND FAR TOO MANY STRUGGLING FAMILIES IN THIS ECONOMY ARE FACING HUNGER.
01:40:23 AND ACCORDING TO A RECENT REPORT, ONE OUT OF EVERY FOUR YOUNG ADULTS ARE TOO OVERWEIGHT TO SERVE IN OUR MILITARY.
01:40:31 AT THE SAME TIME, ACCORDING TO THE FOOD RESEARCH ACTION CENTER, ONE OUT OF EVERY FOUR HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILDREN EXPERIENCE FOOD HARDSHIPS THIS YEAR, MEANING THEY DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO PURCHASE THE FOOD THEIR FAMILIES NEEDED.
01:40:45 DON'T LET PEOPLE FOOL YOU WITH WORDS LIKE FOOD HARDSHIP AND FOOD INSECURITY.
01:40:51 IT RESULTS IN HUNGER.
01:40:53 KIDS IN THIS NATION ARE GOING TO BED HUNGRY EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.
01:41:00 THIS BILL MARKS A SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD AGAINST BOTH FRONTS OF THIS DANGEROUS MOVEMENT BY EXPANDING ACCESS TO ALL SCHOOLCHILDREN.
01:41:08 EMPHASIZING GOOD NUTRITION FOR THIS BILL WILL REDUCE HUNGER.
01:41:11 IT WILL REDUCE OBESITY.
01:41:13 THE HUNGER-FREE KIDS ACT WILL ADD $115 -- 115,000 NEW STUDENTS INTO THE SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAM.
01:41:22 IT USES MEDICAID DATA TO CERTIFY ELIGIBLE KIDS.
01:41:25 IT WILL PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 21 MILLION MEALS A YEAR BY REIMBURSING PROVIDERS FOR AFTER-SCHOOL MEALS TO LOW-INCOME CHILDREN.
01:41:35 WHILE EXPANDING ACCESS TO MEAL PROGRAMS, THIS BILL WORKS TO IMPROVE THE NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF ALL THE FOOD IN OUR SCHOOLS.
01:41:43 IT SETS NATIONAL NUTRITION STANDARDS THAT WILL FINALLY GET ALL OF THE JUNK FOOD INFILTRATING OUR CLASSROOMS AND AND FOR THOSE SCHOOLS WHO OUR CAFETERIAS OUT THE DOOR.
01:41:55 COMPLY WITH THESE REVISED NUTRITION STANDARDS, IT PROVIDES THE FIRST REAL REIMBURSEMENT RATE INCREASE.
01:42:03 SIX CENTS A MEAL.
01:42:05 AND THAT IS THE LARGEST 30 YEARS.
01:42:07 INCREASE WE HAVE SEEN IN OVER THIS BILL WILL ALSO STRENGTHEN THE FAR-TO-SCHOOL NETWORK SO THAT MORE HEALTHY PRODUCE, LOCAL FOOD, EVEN THE FOODS THAT ARE GROWN IN THE SCHOOL GARDEN CAN FIND THEIR WAY INTO THE MENUS.
01:42:23 OUR KIDS CONSUME ROUGHLY 35% TO 50% OF THEIR DAILY CALORIES DURING THE SCHOOL DAY.
01:42:29 BY PASSING THIS BILL WE CAN HELP SEE THAT THEY ARE GETTING ENOUGH NUTRITIOUS FOOD TO STAY HEALTHY, TO GROW, TO LEARN, TO SUCCEED, AND GIVEN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE, I KNOW SOME WILL ASK -- HOW CAN WE AFFORD THIS BILL?
01:42:45 I SAY, HOW CAN WE AFFORD NOT TO PASS IT?
01:42:49 LEAVING MILLIONS OF CHILDREN HUNGRY, MALNOURISHED IN THE NAME OF BUDGET CUTTING IS PENNY-WISE, POUND FOOLISH, ESPECIALLY FROM THOSE WHO WILL SAY LET'S PROVIDE THE RICHEST 2% OF THOSE IN THIS NATION WITH A TAX CUT AND OVER $00,000 A YEAR.
01:43:09 THEY'RE EATING WELL.
01:43:10 THEY'RE EATING HIGH ON THE HOG AND KIDS ARE GOING TO BED HUNGRY EVERY NIGHT IN OUR NATION.
01:43:16 COUNTLESS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT KIDS WITH ACCESS TO A NUTRITIOUS BREAKFAST PERFORM WELL, DO BETTER IN SCHOOL.
01:43:22 FROM THE VERY BEGINNING I HAVE BEEN WORKING AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN WORKING TO EXPAND ACCESS TO FEDERAL AID, INCLUDING THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM FOR ELIGIBLE CHILDREN.
01:43:33 WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR KIDS HAVE ACCESS TO THE NUTRITION THEY NEED FOR A HEALTHY FUTURE.
01:43:39 USING THE FOOD STAMP MONEY FOR AN OFFSET -- THANK YOU.
01:43:42 USING THE FOOD STAMP MONEY AS AN OFFSET IS A TIME WHEN ONE IN FIVE KIDS RECEIVED FOOD STAMP ASSISTANCE MOVES US AWAY FROM NEVERTHELESS, THIS LEGISLATION THAT GOAL.
01:43:52 IS A BIG STEP FORWARD.
01:43:53 I FOR ONE AND OTHERS HAVE SAID WE WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH, TO SEE THAT THE SNAP FUNDING IS RESTORED.
01:44:00 WE WILL WORK WITH THE WHITE HOUSE TO MAKE SURE THOSE FUNDS ARE RESTORED, AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE THE CONGRESS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TODAY AND PLEDGE TO FIGHT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES THAT WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE ALL KIDS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THESE RESOURCES HAVE THE ACCESSIBILITY TO GAIN THESE RESOURCES.
01:44:21 I URGE MY COLLEAGUES, VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS RULE.
01:44:24 NOTHING THAT WE DO IN THIS BODY IS AS IMPORTANT THAN ENSURING THAT OUR CHILDREN, OR GRANDCHILDREN AND THE NEXT GENERATION OF AMERICANS HAVE THE TOOLS, THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE NUTRITION THAT THEY NEED TO THRIVE AND TO SUCCEED.
01:44:38 OUR KIDS DESERVE NO LESS.
01:44:40 .
01:44:40 THANK YOU AND I YIELD BACK.
Congresswoman DeLauro- On behalf of all the children in this country, THANK YOU!
