Contact: Johanna Elsemore at jelsemore@strength.org
San Antonio, Texas – No Kid Hungry Texas announces the 2023 Rural School District Cohort, awarding over $270,000 in funding to support school nutrition programs in rural districts across Texas. In collaboration with the Texas Rural Education Association (TREA), No Kid Hungry Texas aims to increase access as well as participation in school breakfast and lunch programs with over $34,000 in grants to each district.
“School meals play a central role in ensuring Texas kids receive the nutrition they need to thrive, especially in rural communities which may have limited access to fresh, healthy foods,” said No Kid Hungry Texas Director Stacie Sanchez Hare. “By providing funding for equipment, staff training and other program needs, we will bolster these districts’ capacity to continue providing delicious and nutritious school meals.”
Earlier this year, a study conducted by No Kid Hungry Texas found that rural Texans displayed the highest levels of food insecurity, with 44% of rural respondents experiencing at least one symptom of food insecurity within the previous year. School breakfast and lunch provide a consistent source of balanced nutrition for schoolchildren, which is associated with positive academic, behavioral, and physical health outcomes
“This partnership with No Kid Hungry Texas provides valuable resources to the over 400 rural school districts we serve in Texas,” said Bill Tarleton, Executive Director of the Texas Rural Education Association. “By creating a channel for collaboration and innovation backed by funding, we aim to support child nutrition directors as they navigate the unique challenges of serving rural school districts.”
This year’s grant recipients include Garner ISD, Hearne ISD, Jasper ISD, La Villa ISD, Navarro ISD, Royal ISD, Sabinal ISD, and San Saba ISD.
The Rural School District Cohort spans one academic year (August-May) and members will meet virtually every other month with other cohort members to share best practices and collaborate on solutions to the challenges of rural childhood hunger.
To learn more about No Kid Hungry Texas’ advocacy work and year-round grantmaking, please visit https://state.nokidhungry.org/texas/.
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids could face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty. Join us at NoKidHungry.org.