[Contact: Claire Mansfield at 804.692.2545 or cmansfield@strength.org]
Richmond, VA (Oct. 7, 2019) – No Kid Hungry Virginia is investing $28,520 to support alternative breakfast programs at seven schools across the state. The program – known nationwide as Breakfast After the Bell – boosts school breakfast participation by making it part of the school day.
Traditional school breakfast programs often have barriers that prohibit students from eating breakfast before school. Breakfast After the Bell provides breakfast in a way that is more accessible to students, resulting in increased student participation.
One in seven children in Virginia live in families that struggle with hunger. Research shows that hunger has long-term ramifications on children, including lower test scores, weaker attendance rates, and a higher risk of hospitalizations and chronic diseases. No Kid Hungry Virginia and its partners focus on Breakfast After the Bell as a critical way to end childhood hunger in Virginia.
The following schools received No Kid Hungry Virginia breakfast grants:
● Brunswick High in Brunswick County – $3,600
● James S. Russell Middle in Brunswick County – $5,000
● Totaro Elementary in Brunswick County – $5,000
● Ridgeview High in Dickenson County – $4,220
● Giles High in Giles County – $1,500
● Norton Elementary in the City of Norton – $2,850
● A.R. Ware Elementary in the City of Staunton – $6,350
The grants will help schools purchase items such as Grab and Go kiosks, along with other supplies that will assist cafeteria staff with launching and strengthening Breakfast After the Bell models.
Nearly 1,000 Virginia schools have Breakfast After the Bell programs. Breakfast after the Bell models include: Breakfast in the Classroom; Grab and Go, where students pick up breakfast from mobile service carts and can eat in their classroom before and after the bell has rung; and Second Chance, where students eat breakfast during a break in the morning, often between first and second period.
“Traditional breakfast programs in the cafeteria have been historically hard for students to access because of bus or carpool schedules and other factors,” said Claire Mansfield, No Kid
Hungry Virginia state director. “We know when schools transition to a Breakfast After the Bell model more students eat breakfast. The No Kid Hungry Virginia team is here to help organizations strengthen and start alternative breakfast programs.”
In addition to breakfast grants, No Kid Hungry Virginia also distributed $5,000 to both the Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Neck and Feeding America Southwest Virginia to support afterschool meal programs.
No Kid Hungry Virginia works to ensure all children have access to the nutrition they need to grow and thrive. This couldn’t be done without the generous help of its Virginia sponsors: Amazon, Food Lion Feeds, Kellogg’s, Nestlé, and Smithfield Foods. Visit va.nokidhungry.org for more information about No Kid Hungry Virginia’s work and Breakfast After the Bell.