Después de que los votantes de Colorado aprobaran el año pasado una medida para ofrecer comidas gratuitas a todos los alumnos de escuelas públicas, independientemente de su capacidad de pago, unos 41 grupos comunitarios de todo el estado están trabajando para apoyar y promover el nuevo programa en comunidades de difícil acceso.

Rachel Landis dirige Good Food Collective, que trabaja en la región de Four Corners. Dice que las comidas escolares son una de las principales fuentes de calorías y nutrición para una gran parte de los estudiantes.

"Al invertir en comidas escolares más saludables -y luego en el acceso universal a las mismas- nos aseguramos de que los estudiantes puedan tener una nutrición que les permita aprender, tener éxito," asegura Landis, "y, en última instancia, alcanzar su máximo potencial como residentes de Colorado."

Colorado Access Foundation y Colorado Health Foundation han comprometido conjuntamente $1.5 millones de dólares para promover los beneficios de la nueva iniciativa estatal Comidas Escolares Saludables para Todos. Las familias ya no tienen que inscribirse para recibir comidas gratuitas, pero los grupos están ayudando a los padres a rellenar las solicitudes de beneficios que pueden ayudar a las escuelas a obtener fondos adicionales. Están animando a los padres a unirse a juntas locales para ayudar a configurar los menús escolares de sus hijos.

El nuevo programa también espera que sea un impulso para los agricultores independientes de Colorado. El juez Onwordi del Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger, dice que, a partir del próximo año, las escuelas que opten por participar podrán aprovechar los diez millones de dólares disponibles para comprar alimentos ricos en nutrientes de origen local.

"También intentamos trabajar con las escuelas para entablar relaciones con los productores locales, de modo que cuando haya fondos disponibles, más escuelas se animen a utilizarlos," explica Onwordi. "Así pueden ofrecer más cocina casera en sus escuelas, y asegurarse de que tienen más alimentos frescos para los estudiantes."

Landis afirma que las escuelas también están encontrando formas creativas de disipar el estigma asociado con frecuencia a la comida de cafetería. Señala el éxito de una granja hidropónica en una escuela secundaria de Durango donde, como parte del plan de estudios de ciencias, los alumnos comen lo que cultivan.

"La escuela secundaria acaba de aprender eso, dice Landis. "Luego, en el vecino condado de Montezuma, hay un programa de la escuela a la granja que está formando a la próxima generación de agricultores, y parte de esa comida acaba en los comedores."

A new program in Indiana will ensure year-round access to nutritious meals for students statewide.

The Summer Electronic Transfer program provides a one-time $120 payment for school-aged children on an EBT card. The card can be used at grocery stores, farmers markets and other retailers.

Emily Weikert Bryant, executive director of Feeding Indiana's Hungry, said history shows programs such as SUN Bucks are effective.

"What we learned from the pandemic is that when we provide benefits like this, allowing families to pickup on behalf of their children made a tremendous difference in reducing food insecurity amongst kids during the pandemic," Weikert Bryant observed. "Particularly during the summer."

Weikert Bryant pointed out most eligible families will automatically receive benefits and local schools will discuss eligibility with parents and families. The application deadline is Wednesday. Additionally, free meals are available at SUN Meals sites throughout communities. Funding for the initiative is provided by the state and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Weikert Bryant described who qualifies for SUN Bucks.

"Children are eligible for the program if the household already participates in SNAP, TANF -- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families -- or income-based Medicaid," Weikert Bryant outlined. "Or if the student has been identified as a ward of the state; a foster child, homeless or migrant."

SUN Bucks serves as a crucial lifeline, ensuring no child goes hungry during the summer months. The program reflects Indiana's commitment to fostering the well-being of Hoosier kids, ensuring they receive nutritious meals to thrive personally and academically.


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Alabama is one of 14 states opting out of the 2024 summer electronic benefit program.

As summer rolls around, there will be no programs in place to help low-income families with grocery costs.

LaTrell Clifford Wood, hunger policy advocate for the group Alabama Arise, said as a result, more than 500,000 children who usually receive free or reduced lunch could go without meals. She noted while summer feeding programs will be available, they will not reach everyone in need.

"Ninety-four percent of Alabama children who rely on free and reduced-price meals won't have access to them over the summer," Clifford Wood reported. "That means that only 6% of the children who rely on those meals during the school year are going to be fed through summer feeding programs."

Clifford Wood warned limited hours, transportation and strict program rules will hinder many families from benefiting from such vital programs. The Alabama Legislature did not allocate the necessary $15 million for the program by the end of the last session. However, Clifford Wood noted there is a chance the program will be funded in the summer of 2025.

As legislators focus on next year's budgets, Clifford Wood stressed the need for funding next summer's EBT program. She pointed out Alabama Arise is calling for lawmakers to allocate funds from the Education Trust Fund to combat child hunger, affecting one in four children in the state.

"This is a program that's been tested for 13 years," Clifford Wood emphasized. "It's had three rigorous evaluation periods, and it was shown to improve the diet of children and decrease children's food hardship by a third."

Clifford Wood believes prioritizing children's needs and addressing food insecurity is a form of preventive care and serves as an early investment in the state's overall wellness.

The Food Research and Action Center said funding the e-benefits program would also benefit the economy - adding anywhere from $98 million to $117 million. The Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee is expected to vote on the budget next week.

California's program helping low-income families buy fresh fruit and vegetables is on the chopping block and health care advocates are asking legislators to save the Market Match program.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed cutting most of the program's $35 million budget to help close the state's budget shortfall.

Sophia Vaccaro, a participant in Market Match from Echo Park, said she depends on Market Match in more ways than one.

"It helps people being able to stretch their budget further," Vaccaro explained. "Then, I think it helps the community, in that it creates a sense of camaraderie at the farmers' market and makes people more invested in the community itself."

The program matches every dollar CalFresh customers spend on fresh fruits and vegetables at a farmer's market up to between $10 and $20 per day. It is active at 294 sites across the state and is partially paid for through federal matching funds.

Dr. John Maa, surgeon at Marin Health Medical Center and board member of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the American Heart Association, said Market Match promotes healthy eating and boosts the local farm economy.

"An improved diet really will have long-term meaningful impacts on health, and also reduce health care costs," Maa explained. "It really helps to sustain the growers and the merchants. I guess it's a win-win-win."

Siu Han Cheung, outreach coordinator for the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation and board member of the Heart of the City Farmers' Market, argued the program is vital to residents across the state.

"If the Market Match will be cut, that is terrible," Cheung stressed. "That means they have less money to buy their food. So, Market Match is very important for the low-income families and the seniors."

Legislators and the governor are working toward the May budget revisions, and must pass a balanced budget by June 15.