According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), 37.2 million people in the US lived in food-insecure households in 2018. The pandemic has served to highlight how many families are struggling with food insecurity and hunger. In 2020, National PTA created a four-part webinar series designed to engage PTAs and families on food insecurity and empower them to take action by providing information on how to work to reduce food insecurity within their schools and for their families.

The School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program help to address food insecurity and hunger during the school year, though only half of the children who participate in the lunch program also participate in the breakfast program. In Illinois, participation in the breakfast program is below the national average. Over the summer, the USDA Summer Food Service Program provides nutritious no-cost meals when school is not in session.

The National PTA webinar series addresses four topics:

What is Food Insecurity?

Guest Speakers:

  • Stephanie S. Hodges, MS, MPH, RDN from The Nourished Principles, LLC
  • Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba, MPH; Executive Director of Children’s HealthWatch

How is the Charitable Food Sector Addressing Food Insecurity during COVID-19?

Guest Speakers:

  • Stephanie S. Hodges, MS, MPH, RDN from The Nourished Principles, LLC
  • Sarah Steely, Senior Program Manager at No Kid Hungry Virginia
  • Shelly Latimore, Marketing Director of Nestlé Pure Life brand, at Nestle Waters

How Can PTAs Address Food Insecurity during and after COVID-19?

Guest Speakers:

  • Stephanie S. Hodges, MS, MPH, RDN from The Nourished Principles, LLC
  • Local PTAs from across the country

How can PTAs Advocate for Child Nutrition Programs to Reduce Food Insecurity?

Guest Speakers:

  • Stephanie S. Hodges, MS, MPH, RDN from The Nourished Principles, LLC
  • Jacki Ball, Director of Government Affairs at National PTA

Finding Free Meals for Kids

A family needing to find free meals for kids can use the Free Meals Finder from No Kid Hungry. The finder is also available in Spanish. Additionally, families can text FOOD (or COMIDA for Spanish) to 304-304 to receive the information by text.

Photo courtesy of Amanda Mills, USCDCP under Creative Commons license.