Feeding all the kids

Clean Yield donates 1% of revenue each year. Recently, we have tried to be more targeted with our philanthropy, with the goal of moving the needle on an issue: food insecurity – an issue that relates to our investments in local food systems and our concern for social justice.
Vermont has a childhood hunger problem. Free and reduced lunch programs are falling short. In some cases, children who qualify for these programs aren’t taking advantage of them because of the stigma associated with them, or families are unwilling or unable to opt in. There are also children who have insufficient access to food but do not meet the criteria to participate in current food programs – often called “hidden hunger.”
While meeting with a range of stakeholders in the food system – food banks, gleaning operations, members of the farm-to-table network – we were introduced to the idea of universal school meals. Universal school meals refer to programs that feed every child breakfast and lunch at school, regardless of need. It promotes equality in schools (and eliminates segregation in the cafeteria) and positions food as an integral part of learning. In the same way that every child gets a text book to learn math, every child is fed to fuel their bodies and minds.
We were struck by the benefits of universal school meals, which have been linked to improved test scores, reduced sick days, decreased bullying incidents, and increased student and parent engagement. They also contribute to a strong local food system by providing more funding for local food purchasing and fostering deeper connection between schools, communities, and local farms. According to the U.N. World Food Program, providing meals through schools lifts families out of poverty, ends the “hunger cycle,” and helps close the gender gap.
And so our philanthropic campaign became clear. Clean Yield has partnered with Hunger Free Vermont to make Vermont the first state in the U.S. to feed all kids at school. We have funded the first stage of a multi-year policy initiative to create a statewide universal school meals model. While we are starting locally, the hope is that, if successful, Vermont will set the model for other states to follow.