| Congresswoman Laura Gillen is leading the charge to ensure that no child goes hungry during the school day.
Gillen’s bill comes after House Republicans voted to slash funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), threatening the nearly 30,000 people in NY-04 that rely on SNAP to put food on the table each day – nearly a quarter of which are children.
Gillen’s Feed Hungry Kids Act is designed to expand access to free school meals for students nationwide. The bipartisan legislation would simplify eligibility requirements for schools to offer universal free lunch, cutting red tape and removing barriers that leave vulnerable children without the food they need to thrive.
Read more about the Congresswoman’s efforts:
Long Island Herald: Laura Gillen visits Valley Stream school to support ‘Feed Hungry Kids Act’
- Legislation aimed at protecting free school meals for students was on the menu at Forest Road Elementary School in Valley Stream, as Rep. Laura Gillen discussed the “Feed Hungry Kids Act.”
- “As a mother of four children, it is painful for me to think of any child having to come to school hungry and spend the day hungry, yearning for something to eat,” Gillen said. “Every one of America’s students and children deserves a good education that sets them up for a successful life, regardless of their background or their zip code. Students cannot, however, reach their full academic potential on an empty stomach.”
- In 2023, the federal government lowered the participation threshold for the program from 40 percent to 25 percent, meaning that if a quarter of the students in a district qualify for free school meals, then all students benefit. The change made an additional 17,000 schools across the country eligible.
- Gillen said that proposals have since emerged in Congress to reverse that change and even raise the threshold as high as 60 percent, which would significantly reduce access to free meals. The “Feed Hungry Kids Act” seeks to codify the 25 percent threshold into law so schools do not have to worry about losing eligibility.
- The bill has received support from both Island Harvest and Long Island Cares, two of the region’s largest food banks.
- Gillen emphasized that the legislation is designed to provide steady funding and stability so that schools can continue to feed students without disruption.
PIX 11: Long Island Congresswoman Backing Food Assistance Program For Schools
- Long Island representative Laura Gillen encouraging Congress to pass a bill aimed at preventing childhood hunger. She visited a school in Valley Stream in support of the Feed Hungry Kids Act.
- The legislation protects nutrition funding for underserved schools. A first-term Democrat says the program is essential for the physical and mental health of young students.
- “Unfortunately, nutritious food can remain out of reach for so many families across our country. Ensuring that students have no-cost breakfast and lunch has been shown to boost their learning, to increase their test scores, and improve attendance and classroom behavior.”
- The Feed Hungry Kids Act is being introduced as major cuts to food assistance programs, based on President Trump’s budget bill, begin to take effect.
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