Building on the Foundation of Universal Free School Lunch

How New York City hopes to end the stigma associated with 'lunch shaming' by feeding every student for free

Advocates for the universal free lunch program say data show that more children eat lunch when it's free for everyone. According to a Community Food Advocates report from 2016, a significant uptake in participation took place at schools that provided universal free lunch. For example, middle school children participation rates went from 40 percent to 60 percent.

Fighting the stigma of free lunch: Why universal free school lunch is good for students, schools, and families

The majority of NYC’s public school students are poor; an astonishing 75 percent (780,000 children) were already eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. School lunch is the only nutritious meal many of them eat all day. But eating free lunch had stigma, and so despite their  need, one in three eligible students skipped lunch to avoid the shame.

Universal free school lunch is a simple but radical idea. It removes stigma, improves children’s health and educations, and helps low-income families make ends meet. By creating one system, it also simplifies administrative processes, allowing schools, principals, and teachers to focus on teaching.

From Free Lunch to Public Banks, These Cities Are Giving Us Hope

On Thursday, September 7, the city rolled out a new program that will provide free lunch to all 1.1 million public-school students in the five boroughs. Although 75 percent of students in the city were already eligible for free lunch, this program will offer approximately 200,000 additional young people access to the program, and will save their families some $300 a year. What’s more, since the program truly universal, those who rely on the program will no longer have to worry about being stigmatized for doing so.

School Lunch Without Shame

New York City’s public school system set an important national example this week when it made free lunch available to all of its 1.1 million students regardless of income level. The program ensures that more children will get proper nutrition during the school day. It will also relieve the sense of stigma and shame that often leads children to refuse subsidized meals — and go hungry — rather than let classmates find out that their families are poor.

The largest school district in the US just started offering free lunch for all 1.1 million students

The New York City Department of Education announced Wednesday that all public school students, regardless of family income, will receive free lunch. At New York City Public Schools, the largest district in the US with about 1.1 million students, nearly 800,000 students have been estimated to qualify for free lunch.

New York City Offers Free Lunch for All Public School Students

Lunch at New York City public schools will be available free of charge to all 1.1 million students beginning this school year, Carmen Fariña, the schools chancellor, said on Wednesday in the basement cafeteria of a Hell’s Kitchen elementary school. The new school year begins on Thursday.

Free lunch announced for all students at all NYC public schools

Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina said the "Free School Lunch for All" program will provide an additional 200,000 students with free lunch. Last year, 75 percent of students were eligible for free lunch.

NYC Budget Deal Has Millions for Youth Jobs, Free School Lunches

Bloomberg News by Henry Goldman

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​New spending on schools includes $107 million in capital and operating funds to provide all schools with gyms or other physical education facilities and more than $10 million to offer more students free lunches.

Advocates Hope That Food Issues Will Find a Place on City’s Campaign Table

City Limits by Kate Pastor 

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According to Liz Accles of Community Food Advocates, the expansion means 90 percent of schools (adding 890 schools to the 565 already covered) and 84 percent of students (adding 475,000 kids to the 353,000 students already covered) will receive universal free lunch.

De Blasio, City Council reach agreement on $85B budget

New York Post by Yoav Gonen
 

​An additional $10.4 million was added to the budget to expand the free-lunch program in schools — which had been a priority for council members and Public ­Advocate Letitia James.

Mayor de Blasio Announces Budget for Fiscal Year 2018

NBC 4 New York

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The budget significantly expands the number of schools offering free lunch for all students. The I-Team recently reported that kids from families over the current income cutoff were skipping meals so their parents wouldn't be charged. 

Mayor de Blasio, City Council agree on $85.2B budget deal

New York Daily News by Jillian Jorgensen

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The Council, meanwhile, got new money for several of its priorities...There’s also $2.1 million to expand breakfast in city classrooms, $10.4 million for free school lunch and $110 in capital funds for libraries.

NY1 Online: Grading de Blasio

NY1 News - Road to City Hall 

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​Teachers' union president Michael Mulgrew joined Errol Louis to evaluate Mayor de Blasio's record on education, weigh in on the debate over parking placards for teachers, and to make the case for universal free lunch. 

Ending School Lunch Shaming

Time Warner Cable News by Capital Tonight Staff

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You've probably seen stories surface on social media about kids being shamed for not being able to pay for their school lunches.  Senator Liz Krueger and Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon join us from the New York City studio to discuss.

Last City Budget Hearing Sets Stage for Final Negotiations

Gotham Gazette by Samar Khurshid

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[Ferreras-Copeland] criticized the lack of funding for universal school lunch, senior services, youth jobs, and the Emergency Food Assistance Program.

School Lunches Are A Right, Not A Privilege

HuffPost by David Sandman

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​Mayor de Blasio’s universal school lunch promise would be a sweeping pro-health, pro-child and pro-equity measure.

Inside the School Lunch Affordability Gap: Too Affluent for Free Food, Can’t Afford $1.75 Meals

The 74 by Naomi Nix

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According to two New York City nonprofits, Community Food Advocates and the Citizens’ Committee for Children, there are about 110,000 city kids whose families struggle to pay the estimated $315 annual cost of school lunch for each child.

Readers sound off on Roger Ailes, Goldie Hawn and school lunch

New York Daily News Opinion Page

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​Manhattan: Re “All schoolkids entitled to lunch” (May 17): Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña has made clear that she denies the massive public support and evidence that Universal Free School Lunch is necessary and must be implemented in all NYC public schools.

City Leaders Advocate For Universal Free Lunch

Queens Tribune by Ariel Hernandez

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​On Monday, city leaders rallied at City Hall to demand that de Blasio provide universal free school lunch to all of the city’s 1.1 million public- school students.

Farina's 'Out-of-Touch' Letter on Free Lunch Misses the Point: Advocates

​DNAinfo by Amy Zimmer 

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Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña this week ordered principals to ensure that all elementary and middle school students in need who ask for free lunch be provided a meal — in what hunger advocates dismissed as a "out-of-touch" reiteration of existing school policies that fail students who are too ashamed to speak up.

Public Pressure Builds Toward Providing Universal Free Lunch in City Schools

NY1 News

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Calls are growing for the city to provide free lunch to all public school students  — regardless of income.
Supporters of the idea rallied on the steps of City Hall yesterday.

Call grows for universal free lunch in public schools

News 12 Brooklyn by Naomi Choy Smith

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Some advocates are lobbying for universal free lunch in all of the city's public schools.
More than 500,000 low-income New York City public school students get free or reduced-priced lunch. Now, some elected leaders and community groups want to expand the program to all students.

Push to Offer Free Lunches At All Public Schools

NY1 by By Lisa Voyticki

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​There’s a growing push on Staten Island to offer free lunch in every public school. NY1’s Lisa Voyticki explains why some say it’s so important.

The Fight for Free Lunch

NBC News, New York by Melissa Russo

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Three out of four New York City public school students come from families with incomes so low they qualify for free lunch but some teachers and parents tell the I-Team there are thousands more children enduring stomach aches and fatigue because their parents can’t afford the lunch bills. News 4’s Melissa Russo reports.

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Punishing Kids for Unpaid Lunch Bills

The New York Times - The Opinion Pages

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​Eliminating school lunch fees altogether would enable more kids to eat lunch at school and take away the shame of free lunch. Other major cities, including Boston, Chicago, Dallas and Philadelphia, have adopted universal free school lunch, but New York — the largest public school district in the nation — has been a laggard.

At First Executive Budget Hearing, Council Pushes Unfunded Priorities

Gotham Gazette by Samar Khurshid

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[Mark-Viverito] is “dismayed” that the budget did not eliminate all school lunch fees, which would have done away with the stigma associated with free lunches available to low-income students, she said.

Shaming Children So Parents Will Pay the School Lunch Bill

The New York Times by Bettina Elias Siegel 

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Others argue that school meals should be offered free to all children, regardless of income, as is the case in Sweden and Brazil. “We need to provide school meals on the same basis on which we provide school transportation and textbooks,” said Janet Poppendieck, a senior fellow at the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute and author of “Free for All: Fixing School Food in America.”

Make sure our kids get to eat: offer universal free school lunch

The Riverdale Press by The Editorial Board 

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How many times have we heard the old adage, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”?

We say it over and over as a way to prove that it’s impossible to get something for nothing. As if lunch is some kind of luxury afforded only by those who deserve it.

Why aren't lunches free in NYC's public schools?

Time Out by Time Out Kids contributors

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​It's true: NYC is ultra expensive, and beyond a free ice cream scoop or sprinkle-covered donut every once in a while, it's hard to imagine "free" and "NYC" in the same sentence. This being said, free resources for city kids do exist, and are (by far) one of the most important things our city has to offer. After all, kids are the future!

Oddo, beeps, urge de Blasio to support free school lunch for all

SiLive by Diane C. Lore

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Borough President James Oddo and his borough hall colleagues in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens, are urging Mayor Bill de Blasio to fund free school lunches for all children in city public schools.

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The five borough presidents wrote a joint letter to the mayor asking him to add money to the budget to fund universal free lunch.

Borough Presidents Call for Universal Free Lunch in City Schools

NY1 News

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Mayor Bill de Blasio is being pressured to go from universal Pre-K to universal free lunch for all city students.

All five of the city's Borough Presidents have signed a letter to the mayor asking him to set aside money in next year's budget to provide free lunch at every public school in the city.

Poll shows 82% of voters support universal free lunch for NYC public school students

New York Daily News

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The vast majority of city voters support giving free lunch to all public school students, a new poll shows.

The poll done by the Global Strategy Group for the New York State Health Foundation, which supports the proposal, found 82% of New York voters back universal free lunch. Of those, 61% strongly support it and 20% somewhat support it.

Free lunch for all, NYC borough presidents insist

Metro New York by Amanda Mikelberg

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There could be such a thing as a free lunch … in New York City schools.

In a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio, all five borough presidents asked that money be put aside to expand the city’s free lunch program to all public school students and not just those eligible on the basis of family income.

City borough presidents want Mayor de Blasio to push for free public school lunches

New York Daily News by Erin Durkin

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All five of the city’s borough presidents are pushing Mayor de Blasio to offer free lunch to all public school kids.

The pols - Staten Island Republican Jimmy Oddo and Democrats Eric Adams of Brooklyn, Gale Brewer of Manhattan, Melinda Katz of Queens and Ruben Diaz Jr. of the Bronx - wrote a letter to de Blasio asking him to put the cash in next year’s budget for universal free lunch.

With City Budget Hearings Set to Begin, Several Points of Funding Contention

Gotham Gazette by Samar Khurshid

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 Advocates and elected officials have been pushing Mayor de Blasio to follow through on a 2013 campaign promise and provide universal free lunch for all of the city’s 1.1 million public school children...

What Trump Means for Hunger and Nutrition in New York City

City Limits by Elizabeth Michaelson Monaghan

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Community Food Advocates (and a group of more than 250 organizations and elected officials) think free school lunches for all public school students—which is currently available in multiple cities, including Chicago and Philadelphia—would be a very effective response to childhood hunger.

Mark-Viverito Aims at Trump in Final State of the City

Politico by Gloria Pazmino

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​As her term draws to an end — because of term limits she cannot run for reelection to the Council — Mark-Viverito will highlight some of the Council’s signature issues, including funding for universal free school lunch...

Publicly Financed ‘Know Your Rights’ Education for Undocumented Immigrants Coming to NYC Under Council Speaker’s Plan

The Observer by Will Bredderman

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​The speaker also outlined other left-wing proposals, including providing publicly funded birth control to all women and universal free school lunch...

Mayor Bill De Blasio’s budget for NYC — and re-election

AM New York by The Editorial Board

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Missing are lofty promises and funds for big ideas like universal free school lunch and half-fare MetroCards.

Free Lunch on the Menu

United Federation of Teachers by Michael Murphy

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​The UFT and other members of the Lunch 4 Learning coalition on Dec. 15 delivered to City Hall more than 9,000 postcards from public school parents asking to fund free school lunch for all 1.1 million New York City public school children. Currently, more than 76 percent of city students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch based on household income.

In New York City Schools, No Such Thing As Universal Free Lunch

City and State by Pamela Stewart Martinez

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​It is unacceptable that Mayor Bill de Blasio has not yet implemented universal free school lunch in all New York City public schools. As a mayoral candidate in 2013, de Blasio openly promised to extend this program to all students, but so far, he has not kept his word.

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UFT part of coalition seeking free lunch for all students

United Federation of Teachers by Michael Murphy

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​For most public school students in New York City, the old adage holds true: There’s no such thing as a free lunch. But a coalition of labor unions including the UFT, food advocates, elected officials and educators is calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio to change that.

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Push for Healthy Student Eating Extends Beyond School Meals

Gotham Gazette by Milka Nissinen

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​Studies show that food quality has an impact on children’s learning and mental growth. According to the American Psychological Association, “A hungry child between the age of 6 and 12 is more likely to receive special education services, repeat a grade in school or receive mental health counseling, than a child who is not hungry.”

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CityViews: New York City Kids Need Free School Lunch for All

City Limits by Liz Accles

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Now more than ever it is urgent that that Mayor de Blasio honor his campaign promise to implement Universal Free School Lunch in all New York City public schools. 

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The free lunch all our kids deserve: Why is NYC far behind so many other cities?

New York Daily News by Henry Garrido, Michael Mulgrew and Ernest Logan

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We know we speak for all teachers, principals and school staff when we say that our greatest holiday wish is that we never see another hungry child in our public schools again. 

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School Unions Urge Mayor to Give All Students Free Lunch

Labor Press by Steven Wishnia

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At dusk in front of City Hall Nov. 16, a group of about 150 people—parents, a dozen-odd students, and members of Local 372 of DC 37, the United Federation of Teachers, and the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators—urged Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council to put money for free meals for all students, in next year’s city budget. 

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City Hall rally held to urge Mayor de Blasio to fund universal free lunch for NYC public school students

New York Daily News by Erin Durkin and Ben Chapman

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Dozens of educators, advocates and elected officials turned out for a rally Wednesday at City Hall urging Mayor de Blasio to fund universal free lunches for all the city’s 1.1 million public school kids.

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Mayor Should Fund Universal Free Lunch Before Trump Takes Office: Advocates

DNAinfo by Amy Zimmer

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​The time for Mayor Bill de Blasio to approve universal free lunch for all New York City public students is now — especially since the bulk of the program’s costs are fronted by the federal government, and there are many unknowns about whether such policies might change under a Trump presidency, advocates say.

What happens when you 'lunch shame' a child?

ABC10 by Alexa Renee, KXTV

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Skipping a nutritional lunch can lead to more than just negative effects in the classroom.  A hungry child between the age of 6 and 12 is more likely to receive special education services, repeat a grade in school or receive mental health counseling, than a child who is not hungry, according to the American Psychological Association.

An Abbreviated History of School Lunch in America

TIME by ​Emelyn Rude

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Around the beginning of the 20th century, experts recognized that feeding students could be a crucial part of education reform.

Skipping Meals, Joining Gangs: How Teens Cope Without Enough Food At Home

NPR by Natalie Jacewicz 

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When Lanarion Norwood Jr. was 9 years old, he opened his family's refrigerator to find it almost empty. His grandmother, unemployed because of disability, had run out of food for the month. So Norwood did what many young children adamantly resist: He went to bed early.

Food Fight: Rachael Ray Takes on New York City Over Free Student Lunches

FOX Business by Marissa Piazzola

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Rachael Ray, celebrity chef and talk show host, wants every New York City public school student to have a free lunch.   “No child should go hungry due to stigma and bullying in the lunchroom,” Ray told FOXBusiness.com.

Rachael Ray Fights for Free Lunch in Public Schools: Every Kid ‘Deserves the Means to a Nutritious Meal’

PEOPLE by Mollie Cahillane

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"Any human, young or old, deserves the means to a nutritious meal,” Ray, 47, tells PEOPLE. “It’s scary to think that there are families and children that wake up in the morning and don’t know where their next meal is coming from.”

Rachael Ray joins campaign calling on city to expand free lunch to all NYC public school students

Metro New York by Angy Altamirano

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In an effort to make a final push to the city, celebrity chef Rachael Ray has joined forces with the Lunch 4 Learning campaign to provide all students with free lunch, despite their family's income.

The daytime cooking show host officially launched a petition via Change.org calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio to make lunch free at all city public schools in hopes of bringing an end to bullying, income stigma and food insecurity children face.

Pediatricians Call on Mayor to Expand Universal to All Students

Dear Mayor de Blasio,    
We are leading pediatric/adolescent health organizations representing thousands of health care providers throughout New York City.  We call on you to keep your promise to bring universal free school lunch to New York City public school students.  

Rachael Ray Urges de Blasio to Make Good on Free Lunch Vow in City Schools

DNA Info by Amy Zimmer

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Rachael Ray wants your help to stop New York City’s children from going hungry.

The TV show host and author announced Wednesday the official launch of a petition urging Mayor Bill de Blasio to make good on his 2013 campaign promise and expand universal free lunch to the city’s 1.1 million public school students.

Families should not be shamed over school lunch

Staten Island Advance by Miguel Rodriguez

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Two of Mayor Bill de Blasio's major goals for his administration are to reduce food insecurity and increase public school parent engagement in their children's education. However, many parents limit their time at their children's school because they fear being approached by school officials for money they owe for school lunch fees.

A Teen's Plea For Universal Free School Lunch

Forbes by Nancy Fink Huehnergarth

"Sometimes a teenager writes something so insightful that we all should read it. High school senior Aminata Abdouramane's  post for Chalkbeat, 'How the shame of 'free-free' inspired my push for universal free lunch,' is one of those occasions."

First Person: How the shame of ‘free-free’ inspired my push for universal free lunch

Chalkbeat by By Aminata Abdouramane

In public school cafeterias across New York City, many students play a game of hide and seek, trying desperately to be invisible. Why? Because they want to avoid being bullied by their classmates for being poor enough to qualify for free lunch, which in our world is known as “free-free.”

City Council will dance for free lunch (and other budget goodies)

Crain's New York Business by Rosa Goldensohn

In a joint statement, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Finance Committee Chairwoman Julissa Ferreras-Copeland said the council would push to fund summer and year-round job programs for young people, legal services for immigrants, and workforce development. Free lunch in public schools, a priority for some city politicians and nonprofits, was also missing from the mayor's budget.

Such a Thing as a Free Lunch--for all School Kids

Huffington Post by David Sandman

If we want to ensure that our kids get off to a healthy start and are ready to learn, there is a natural next step: providing universal school lunch as well as universal prekindergarten.

In this land of plenty, a hungry child is among the starkest symbols of inequality. A hungry child can’t learn or realize her full potential. 

Parents call for mayor to fund free lunch for all students

SI Live by Diane C. Lore

The Lunch 4 Learning Parent Caucus -- a coalition of parents and school districts throughout the city -- is pushing for the mayor to expand universal free lunch for every city public school student.

The move, they say, would put an end to "income stigma" in the lunchroom, and help all students thrive in the classroom.

Op-Ed: Campaign For In-School Universal Free Lunch

New York City Council Progressive Caucus

On Thursday, March 10th, the Lunch 4 Learning Campaign’s Parent Caucus–a coalition of parents from every public school citywide parent leadership body and over 20 diverse school districts—were joined by Progressive Caucus members, Borough President Gale Brewer and Public Advocate Letitia James at a press conference on the steps of City Hall to call on Mayor de Blasio to keep his promise to end income stigma in school cafeterias by expanding universal free school lunch to all public school students.

Electeds, advocates renew push for free lunch pilot expansion

Politico New York by Eliza Shapiro

Public Advocate Letitia James, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and anti-hunger advocates are renewing their push for Mayor Bill de Blasio to expand his free lunch program for city school children.

During a press conference on the steps of City Hall on Thursday, the elected officials and advocates called on the mayor to expand an existing free lunch pilot program to all city schools.

Piden almuerzo gratuito para todos los estudiantes en NYC

El Diario por David Ramirez

Una coalición de líderes comunitarios y padres de familia de al menos 20 distritos escolares, junto a la defensora del pueblo Letitia James, pidieron este jueves al alcaldeBill de Blasio que cumpla su promesa y extienda el almuerzo escolar universal a todos los estudiantes de las escuelas públicas de la ciudad de Nueva York.

Parents and advocates call on Mayor de Blasio to fulfill campaign promise of free school lunches for all city schools

New York Daily News by Ben Chapman

A broad coalition of parents and advocates is calling on Mayor de Blasio to fulfill his campaign promise of free school lunches for all city students. The group, which calls itself the Lunch 4 Learning Campaign’s Parent Caucus, delivered a letter to de Blasio in support of universal free school lunch on Feb. 18.

There is such a thing as free lunch--and City Hall should let kids have it

Crain's New York by Letitia James and Liz Accles

Offering free lunch to all New York City public school students—through a federal incentive program called the Community Eligibility Provision—will eliminate the income divide in cafeterias, ease the workload for school staff and cost only an additional $3.6 million a year...

Lunch 4 Learning Releases Video of Mayor de Blasio's School Lunch Campaign Promise

Click here for the full press release!

Advocates Say City Should Expand Free Lunch Faster

City Limits by Ruth Ford

Nearly three years after Hurricane Sandy propelled the city's Department of Education to briefly offer free lunch to all its students to ease some of the storm’s massive disruption in the months afterward, the DOE is inching toward permanent expanding access to school food, slowly enrolling in a new federal program to give more students a free lunch. But the DOE could move faster, and economically smarter, activists say.

Pols call on Bill de Blasio to extend free lunch to all city school kids

New York Daily News by Ben Chapman, Chris Sommerfeldt

Elected officials called on Mayor de Blasio Wednesday to extend free lunches to all 1.1 million city school kids.

Piden expandir programas de almuerzos gratuitos en escuelas en NYC

El Diario por Juan Garnham

Un aumento en los almuerzos gratuitos que ofrecen las escuelas pidió este miércoles la defensora pública Letitia James, junto a políticos, padres, profesores, profesionales y activistas de la campaña Learning 4 Lunch.

‘Shocked and Disappointed': Public Advocate Rips de Blasio Over Free School Lunch

Public Advocate Letitia James—normally a reliable de Blasio ally—today tore into the mayor for opposing free school lunches for all New York City public school students.

James pushes, again, for universal free lunch

Capital New York by Eliza Shapiro

Public Advocate Letitia James and some members of the City Council are continuing to push Mayor Bill de Blasio to implement universal free lunch in city schools, even after the mayor said he will not expand the program in this year's executive budget.

Free Lunch: There is Such a Thing

City and State by Letitia James

Universal free lunch in New York City middle schools is working, so why are there no plans to expand this vital program in this year’s city budget?

More Students Eat Lunch After Free Meal Program Adopted

The Wall Street Journal by Mara Gay

The percentage of middle school students eating lunch rose by more than 8% after New York City adopted a free meal program, according to a new study. 

The Brooklyn Spectator

The full board of Community Education Council (CEC) District 21 was in agreement: the city needs to provide free and health school lunch for all New York City public school students.

The decision was easy, said CEC 21 President Heather Fiorica, because “we understand that parents in certain financial situations need it as well, so we want all families to have that opportunity.”

Year begins full of promise (and free lunch)

The Riverdale Press

The start of the school year on Sept. 4 brought a number of big firsts — from universal pre-k to free lunch at every middle school — for public school students in Riverdale and the rest of the city.

The Sheila Mencher School (P.S. 95) on Hillman Avenue invited parents of 18 children participating in the pre-k program to join their students inside. The students’ enthusiasm appeared to be contagious.

“I’m pretty excited,” said Jessica Garcia, the mother of a preschooler at P.S. 95.

silive.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Students in Staten Island intermediate schools will find something new on their plate when they go back to school next week: Free lunch.

Sixth, seventh and eighth-graders at a dozen Island schools will be eligible for the free meals, regardless of family income, under the Department of Education's Universal Free Lunch initiative. Funding for the program was approved by the City Council in June as part of the city budget.

Advocates for the program Friday called it historic.

"This is an incredibly transformative moment for middle-school students, who will grow up with a school lunch program," declared Lisa Accles, executive director of Community Food Advocates.

New York City Food Policy Center

When school starts this September, school lunch will be served free of charge to any NYC middle school student who wants one. The free-for-all system will replace the current means-tested approach for the city’s approximately 170,000 middle schoolers in all of its nearly 300 middle schools. I welcome this crucial first step first step toward providing universal free lunches to all NYC public school students. On any given day, there are  about a quarter million students in the city’s schools who are eligible for free meals but do not eat them, and thousands more who are not income eligible but are still in need.  Social stigma deters many of those eligible to eat free, and cost makes the meals out of reach for others. The Lunch 4 Learning Campaign led by Community Food Advocates which has mobilized support for an end to the school food means test has achieved a major victory!  Much of the credit should go to the Public Advocate for her outspoken support, and to the NYC City Council, which, under the leadership of Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, included funds in its budget to begin city-wide implementation of universal free meals

Rachael Ray Speaks About Free School Lunch for All NYC Middle School Students

MSNBC's Morning Joe

Piden expandir programas de almuerzos gratuitos en escuelas en NYC

El Diario por Juan Garnham

Un aumento en los almuerzos gratuitos que ofrecen las escuelas pidió este miércoles la defensora pública Letitia James, junto a políticos, padres, profesores, profesionales y activistas de la campaña Learning 4 Lunch.

NYC to Offer Free Lunches for All Middle-School Students

Bloomberg Businessweek

Starting in September, the city will spend an additional $6.25 million a year so that all 177,000 students in the sixth through eighth grades will qualify for free breakfast and lunch without requiring parents to certify that their income is 130 percent of the $30,615 poverty level for a family of four.

By expanding the program, advocates seek to eliminate the shame and embarrassment that keep many children who qualify for the free lunches from receiving them. About 780,000 city students are poor enough to be eligible, yet only about 250,000 participate, according to the New York Times.

“Many students who do qualify for free lunch often do not take advantage of it for fear of the stigma they face,” said City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, an East Harlem Democrat who predicted that future budgets would grant all city children free lunch. “Universal free lunch would eliminate that stigma and help ensure that all students have access to a nutritious meal at school.”

Victory! Universal Free School Lunch to Begin for all Public Middle School Students in NYC This Fall

Today Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito announced that at the start of the next school year all public middle school students in New York City will have access to universal free lunch. The announcement comes after just months of advocacy by the coalition based Lunch 4 Learning Campaign spearheaded by Community Food Advocates.

Community Food Advocates Executive Director, Liz Accles released the following statement:

"This is an incredibly transformative moment for middle school students who will grow up with a school lunch program where everyone eats on equal terms—the poverty stigma attached to school lunch will be erased.

“This major shift lays the groundwork for universal free school lunch for all New York City students.  A fundamental part of a public education should include enough nourishment to learn.  The Lunch 4 Learning campaign will continue to work with the   de Blasio Administration and the City Council to fulfill this promise for all New York City public school students.

“We thank Mayor de Blasio, Chancellor Farina, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, and Council Finance Chair, Julissa Ferreras for  taking this first major step to ensuring students are fed and and focused in school; Public Advocate Letitia James and Councilman Danny Dromm for their crucial leadership, and Senator Liz Krueger for her dedication to making this a reality.”

Lunch 4 Learning (L4L) is a diverse, coalition-based campaign spearheaded by Community Food Advocates that has focused on making free and healthy meals available to all NYC public school students, regardless of income. The L4L campaign has brought together 170 organizational and elected partners, top chefs and celebrities to elevate this issue and focus the attention of the new Mayor and Chancellor to make this an anti-hunger, health and educational priority.

Hundreds of thousands of students in NYC public schools do not participate in federally funded school lunch due to the programs’ poverty stigma.  An astonishing 68 percent of NYC’s 1.1 million public school children have family incomes low enough to be eligible for free school lunch (below $25,000 for a household of three). Seventy five percent have incomes that qualify them for either free or reduced priced meals. 

However, many of these students, especially as they get older, go without eating school lunch for fear of being labeled poor by their peers, with long-lasting health and educational consequences. 

In 2013, 250,000 out of 780,000 students eligible for free or reduced price meals did not participate in the subsidized school lunch program. Many more students are above income eligibility for free or reduced priced lunch, yet are in families that are struggling to makes ends meet. Additionally, Currently, 81% of elementary school students eat school lunch; it drops to 61% in middle school; and 38% in high school.

The Mayor’s decision to fight these challenges, begins to changes the current system – which links school food with family income. Poverty stigma greatly impacts participation, especially as children get older.