Madison Rosenblatt: No child should go hungry in school
Every day, North Carolina's children head to school, eager to learn, but for far too many, hunger stands in the way. It's time for North Carolina to act. No child should struggle through school on an empty stomach. We must expand access to nutritious meals, for the sake of our children's future and our state's success.
Right now, one in five children in North Carolina faces hunger. I know that hungry children can't learn — I used to be one of them. When children don't have access to regular, nutritious meals, they struggle to focus, get sick more often and engage in disruptive behavior in the classroom. This has a direct impact on the academic performance of students.
I grew up with a single mother, and when I was 8 years old, I learned a painful lesson. One day, as I picked up my tray, the lunch lady told me to put the food back because I didn't have any money to pay. Confused and embarrassed, I watched other children eat while my tray was taken away and thrown into the trash.
I sat alone, hungry, while others enjoyed the meal I so desperately needed. I had to beg a teacher for snacks because my mother didn't have enough funds for the week to buy groceries. A school meal would've provided me with sustenance and a feeling of satisfaction, as that meal would have been my only meal for the day.
Research shows that school meals are some of the healthiest meals children eat, yet many of the students who need them most can't get them. It's interesting that we provide transportation, textbooks and other resources for students, but we still expect families to meet income requirements to access no-cost meals.
It should never be a child's responsibility to bear the stress of whether he or she can pay for a meal at school or face shame due to an inability to pay. This is why I have joined the School Meals for All NC (SMFANC) coalition. As a SMFANC ambassador and the team leader for Forsyth County, I am working with SMFANC to secure state funding for school meals for all students, at no cost to their families. School meals for all would help every student reach his or her full potential. At the end of the day, we should all come to a consensus that no child should go hungry, no matter the circumstance.
If we want to build a stronger and more resilient North Carolina, we must meet students' most basic needs. Food is the most important school supply, and we must make sure every child has access to it. I encourage you to visit www.schoolmealsforallnc.org to learn about the coalition, sign the letter of support and become an ambassador or champion. Your voice matters, so please join me in advocating for school meals for all.
I believe there is an opportunity to make public education stronger and improve academic performance, behavior and attendance by providing school meals to all students at no cost to their families.
