Vilsack Announces Grants, Proposed Rule Changes to Help Schools Feed Kids

Today, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack made several announcements regarding improved access to school meals. These announcements included: 

• $50 million in grants to increase collaboration among schools, food producers and suppliers, and other partners to improve the quality of school meals; 
• $10 million in grants to expand nutrition education; and
• A proposed rule that would expand opportunities for states to provide healthy school meals for all. 

FoodCorps especially wants to congratulate grant recipients Chef Ann Foundation and Full Plates Full Potential, both of whom are partners in our work.

FoodCorps supports the initiatives announced by Secretary Vilsack, as they align with our values and goals of nourishing school meals for all at no cost, hands-on food education, and advancing equity through food. “The Biden-Harris Administration believes that a healthier future for our country starts with our children,” said Vilsack. “Continuing to make school meals healthier and available to more students are some of the best ways we can help our children thrive early in life.”

FoodCorps is proud to work with the Biden Administration to advance food and education equity. In September 2022, FoodCorps was invited to the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, where we announced our $250 million Nourishing Futures initiative to provide every student in the country access to food education and nourishing, free school meals by 2030. 

“We are experiencing a transformative, justice-centering moment for school meals,” said FoodCorps President Dr. Robert S. Harvey. “Secretary Vilsack’s announcement comes just as states like New Mexico and Minnesota embrace free school meals for all, offering more children the universal human right to nourishing food. We are holding these victories—and the children, families, and communities they impact—close as we continue our work with our 2030 goal in sight. ”

Visit foodcorps.org/nourishing-futures to become one of our one million supporters for Nourishing Futures and help us ensure that all 50 million students have access to free and nourishing meals and food education.