SNA Urges Congress to End Shutdown to Protect School Meals

SNA: School Nutrition Association ^ | October 11, 2013 | Diane Pratt-Heavner

[Stand Watch Listen]

SNA Urges Congress to End Shutdown to Protect School Meals NATIONAL HARBOR, MD (October 11, 2013) – The School Nutrition Association (SNA), a national non-profit representing 55,000 school nutrition professionals nationwide, sent a letter to congressional leaders today urging them to end the Federal Government shutdown to ensure the availability of school meals for America’s students.

Starting on November 1, school meal programs will request federal reimbursements for meals served during October, but the US Department of Agriculture has not guaranteed the availability of sufficient funds to reimburse states for all meals served in October. In fact, one state agency TEXAS has already notified local school districts that funding is only sufficient to reimburse meals served through October 4, 2013.

“School meal programs depend on federal reimbursements to operate,” said SNA President Leah Schmidt, SNS. “If the Federal Government shutdown persists, millions of students who rely on school meals as a primary source of nutrition will suffer.”

School meal programs operate on extremely tight budgets with limited financial reserves. Programs rely on monthly federal reimbursements to pay wages, local vendors and farmers and reimburse their school districts for their share of utilities, custodial and other expenses.

To read SNA’s letter to congressional leaders click here.

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is a national, non-profit professional organization representing 55,000 school nutrition professionals across the country. Founded in 1946, SNA and its members are dedicated to making healthy school meals and nutrition education available to all students.

[jodster36]

My 2nd grade daughter, who is not a picky eater, liked the school lunches in kindergarten. Last year, I packed her lunch 2-3 days a week, now this year she only takes school lunch once a week. Why? Not only because most days its gross, its not even enough food! The portions are so small! She’s a growing kid, only 75 %ile weight and 98 %ile height (tall & thin) and loves fruit and veggies. She says a lot of kids throw away over half their lunch. I’m sure a lot of those kids are on free or reduced lunch too.

[RetiredTexasVet]

Should send them a note that a bill has been passed by the House but the head children haters in the Senate and White House are negligent is passing and signing the bill. Please call, write and email those two offices and threaten them with loss of support and lunches for their children and grandchildren. In fact, better yet, threaten them with feeding their children and grandchildren “Moo” lunches.

[Bon of Babble]

I work in the schools. It is indescribable how much government food goes right in the trash, especially the milk and fruit. We can no longer serve chocolate or strawberry milk (which the kids would drink), only 1% or non-fat milk which the kids detest -- goes right in the dumpsters, gallons and gallons of it.

Fruit is second-rate and usually underripe. Kids toss that first. They can't pick and chose what they want (at least at my school they can't) they have to take the "whole enchilada" so to speak.

Most of it looks and smells so terrible that I can't blame the kids for not touching it. took some home to my dogs once, my big dog who EATS EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING (edible or not) wouldn't touch it -- one sniff and he turned away.

Also, the school was making things like hamburger made from pink slime -- Schools said they no longer buy products made with the slime, but I heard on the inside that that isn't true.

[Parmy]

SNA Urges Congress to End Shutdown to Protect School Meals October 12, 2013 4:45:16 PM PDT · 12 of 23 Stand Watch Listen to Parmy Why? The kids don’t eat them because they don’t like them. So, they end up in the trash dumpster out behind the school building. How so very true. One school district (>10,300 students) that I know of...with the start of the first 6 weeks of this school year, lunches were down >127,000 from a comparable time of last year. Students are actively rejecting Michelle's nutrition dictates. YET free lunches are UP by enormous numbers, BUT the trash bills for food waste have increased tremendously at this time. A severe wasteful cycle. What a fraud, waste, abuse this program has become!!!

With all the starving kids that are said to be around, how come there is Michelle's 'war on childhood obesity"?

This is for anyone who cares, take a look behind the school nearest where you live and observe the trash dumpsters after lunch is over.