Contact: Johanna Elsemore at 202.478.6554 or jelsemore@strength.org
Washington, DC – The national anti-hunger campaign No Kid Hungry has announced five winners of its 2019 Breakfast Hero contest. This year’s inspiring line up of champions includes educators and administrators from school districts across the country who have been nominated by members of their local community for going above and beyond to ensure their students are Powered By Breakfast.
One of the five national winners is Nancy LaFave, the food service director for Escanaba and Bark River-Harris school districts. This past fall, Nancy convinced the administration of both her school districts to adopt the Community Eligibility Provision, and is now offering breakfast in the classroom free to every student K-6 in Bark River-Harris and K-8 in Escanaba. “Nancy has handled it like a charm,” said Diane Golzynski with the Michigan Department of Education. “She’s gotten administrative and public support and listened to the concerns of parents, never once losing sight of wanting to take care of the kids.” 1 in every 6 kids in Michigan face hunger; nearly half of all students in both Escanaba and Bark River-Harris school districts are eligible for free and reduced price meals.
School breakfast is an energy source for kids across the nation. Research shows that hunger has long-term ramifications on children, including lower test scores, weaker attendance rates, and a higher risk of hospitalizations and chronic diseases. No Kid Hungry and its partners focus on school breakfast as a critical way to end childhood hunger.
Accessing traditional cafeteria breakfast service can be challenging for many kids. Breakfast after the bell provides breakfast in a way that is more convenient and accessible to students, resulting in more kids starting the day ready to learn.
“Hungry kids can’t learn, and kids who can’t learn can’t reach their full potential,” said Lisa Davis, senior vice president of Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign. “Thanks to everyday heroes like the amazing folks we’re recognizing today, many more kids across the country are getting the breakfast fuel they need every day.”
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But 1 in 6 kids will face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger through effective programs that provide kids with the food they need. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization working to end hunger and poverty. Join us at NoKidHungry.org