Dear Friends,
We know that a child who is hungry does not learn as well as one who's properly nourished.
I am supporting the Lunch 4 Learning campaign to provide universal free lunch for every
public school student. As the Public Advocate for the City of New York, I am working alongside over 120 food and community advocates to ensure that every child has access to healthy and free food at school.
Today, over 75% of city public school students are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunch – an estimated 780,000 students – but many students from families just above the income threshold are not accounted for and they and their families often struggle to afford lunch.
Making this change to universal free lunch will delink school food with family income and will get rid of the shame and poverty stigma that greatly impacts participation, especially as children get older: 81% of elementary school students eat school lunch, but that number drops to 61% by middle school, and 38% in high school.
The solution is simple: If we provide every New York City public school student with a free lunch, it will only cost only $20 more per student each year. Big idea, small price. Without complicated legislation or state approval, Mayor de Blasio can make universal free lunch a reality for all our children.
Dallas, Chicago, and Boston offer all of their public school students free meals. Why shouldn't we?
Sign the petition and tell Mayor de Blasio that we want to work to make universal free lunch a reality!
Link to petition:
http://www.change.org/petitions/bill-de-blasio-help-children-learn-make-school-lunch-universally-free-for-every-new-york-city-student-2
Sincerely,
Letitia James
Public Advocate of the City of New York