According to the USDA, 1 in 8 children face hunger in America. Hunger affects the ability of students to learn. When children are hungry, they have difficulty concentrating and retaining information.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress approved funding for universal free school meals, and millions of children had access to nutritious breakfast and lunch. But that funding ended last June.

Now, families must fill out a complicated series of forms to determine if they qualify. And as grocery prices rise, many families who do not qualify still cannot afford the food they need. Many children are again accumulating unpaid school lunch debt and the shaming that comes with it.

Universal school meals provide free healthy meals to all students. No complicated forms and no shaming.

Free school meals also reduce food insecurity among families, allowing them to spend money on other necessities like housing, transportation, and health care.

A few states have already funded universal free school meals, but all children benefit when they can learn without facing hunger at school.

Universal school meals would be a good investment in our future. By nourishing students today, we are preparing them for success in the classroom and beyond. No child should go hungry.

Sign the petition and urge Congress to fund universal school meals now!