Meetup in Indian Trail, NC
Eight states currently offer school meals to all students at no charge. North Carolina families want North Carolina to be the ninth state, giving all NC children access to the healthy food they need to learn, grow, and thrive. Towards that end, MomsRising volunteers in North Carolina have been organizing a series of meetups and tables at events across North Carolina to raise awareness about the benefits of school meals for all and mobilize moms to join the School Meals for All NC campaign.
Eighteen MomsRising Beacon community volunteer leaders have organized events to build momentum for free school meals for all in NC. They have held eight meetups across the state– in Indian Trail, Durham, Asheville, Raleigh, Charlotte, and Winston-Salem. Five of these meetups were primarily in Spanish. The meetups combined advocacy with fun, children’s activities, and socializing as we discussed how together we can build our Mom Power and make our voices heard!
These MomsRising volunteers shared facts about the many positive impacts of school meals for all. Children who have access to no-cost school meals do better both in and out of school. In addition to reducing child hunger, providing school meals at no cost to families helps improve academic performance and student health and eliminates the “lunch shaming” and stigma experienced by many children. Studies show that students at schools with no-cost school lunch have better standardized test scores, concentration, comprehension, memory, participation, and attendance. Out-of-school suspensions dropped by 1.4% and 2.3% in middle and high schools respectively in schools that make no-cost school meals available to all students. Significant improvements in 5th grade science and middle school reading test scores took place in schools that offer no-cost school meals. The moms also shared that implementing school meals for all policies also improves the quality of school meals– a key concern for many families.
Each meetup was unique and included creative ways to engage attendees, such as balloon art, painting classes, arts & crafts, a children’s dance showcase, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and of course, great food! Seven of the meetups took place at public parks– several of these parks had splash pads that were a huge hit during the hot summer. One of the meetups took place at a union office. We partnered with Power the Vote NC to conduct voter registration at the meetups– we registered 44 people to vote during these events! The Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina provided nutrition education (and yummy samples of cucumbers with chile and lime) and information about applying to SNAP. The meetups ranged from 20 to over 100 participants, including families, several NC representatives, one county school superintendent, and teachers. A number of participants shared their stories of personal experiences with school meals for all on our video platform.
The Beacon community volunteer leaders also met people where they were at by hosting informational tables at community events. One volunteer in High Point set up a table with information about MomsRising and the school meals for all NC campaign at her neighborhood yard sale. Another volunteer set up a table during a back-to-school high school freshman orientation, where hundreds of families stopped at the booth after getting their class schedules. Volunteers staffed several tables at Hispanic Heritage Month festivals across the state.
MomsRising is a partner of the School Meals for All NC coalition, whose goal is for every public school student in North Carolina to have access to breakfast and lunch at school at no cost to their families. To join this coalition, please go to: https://schoolmealsforallnc.org/subscribe/ – and when you are asked how you learned about the coalition, please click on “other” and then please mention “MomsRising.”
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