Episode 201: Universal School Lunch

“We don’t make students pay for books or desks or basketballs. Why would we make them pay for food?” Jeanne Reilly 

1-in-5 Maine students are food insecure. 

You know how hard it is to focus when you are hungry–picture how challenging that is for an 8-year old. 

In our Season 2 Premiere, we share the hard work Full Plates Full Potential did in getting this important matter brought to the capital. During the pandemic, emergency federal funds were put into place so no student had to pay for meals. Now, with those funds expiring, it felt unreasonable to go backwards and force kids who can’t afford meals to suffer again. 

As of April, 2022, Maine became the second state after California to pass legislation that all public school students, regardless of age, community or family income, will have access to free breakfasts and lunches starting in the 2022/23 school year. This removes the stigma around “free lunch” and allows students to focus on socializing, studying and being kids rather than their rumbling stomachs. 

 We speak with Anna Korsen, Advocacy Director at Full Plates Full Potential; Jeanne Reilly, Director of School Nutrition at RSU 14; and Governor Janet Mills about the widespread community support that put Maine on the map for prioritizing the welfare of our kids.

Maine is also an extra special place because many school districts have partnerships with local farms to get fresh and healthy produce into the lunch program. Listen to our podcast Episode 5 where we extend the conversation with other important players and ways they are supporting this groundbreaking movement.