HARRISBURG – Legislation is being proposed by Berks County Sen. Judy Schwank and Allegheny County Sen. Lindsey Williams which is aimed at fighting child hunger by expanding PA’s current Universal Breakfast Program to include lunch. PA has provided no-cost breakfast to all students since October 2022. Every day in PA, 1 in 8 children and, in rural areas, as many as 1 in 5 children experience hunger. The Universal School Meals Program connects children to healthy foods every day so they can learn and succeed. Expanding the program to include no-cost lunch supports local farmers by enabling their farms to provide more food to schools. 44% of PA schools already participate in the PA Farm to School Network which provides students with opportunities to learn about food, agriculture, health, and nutrition, while giving farmers the opportunity to sell their products directly to school districts. The expansion would allow more farms and schools to participate in the network, benefiting both our family farmers and our students. The lawmakers are circulating a co-sponsorship memo seeking support.
SEN. LINDSEY WILLIAMS
SEN. JUDY SCHWANK