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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 3, 2023 02:12 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Robert E. Merski |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Shared Tables-Fighting school hunger and diminishing waste |
| Hunger is a reality for many students. Today, 1 in 8 children, or more than 9 million, live in food insecure homes. In Pennsylvania alone, 1 in 7 experience severe hunger. Food insecurity impacts so many households in rural, urban, and suburban areas of our Commonwealth. Research states that 3 out of 4 teachers say that some of their students regularly come to school hungry. In addition to addressing hunger, we are also faced with food waste. In 2012, federal guidelines required healthier school lunches. In a study conducted after the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act went into effect, researchers found many students were taking the required healthier options and just throwing them into the trash. Food waste is reported to have increased by 56 percent that year. My legislation will allow schools to participate in the “Shared Table” initiative. This will help educators provide food to kids who need it the most. It would grant schools the opportunity to redistribute unused food, by allowing students to put unwanted food in a specified location. It involves having a place that kids can discretely get food throughout the day at school or take food home at the end of the day. The initiative also encourages donating any remaining food items to a charitable organization at the close of the school day. Schools would be required to be in compliance with federal, state, and local food safety regulations. The program does not require school cafeterias to produce extra food. Schools nationwide have already begun food sharing programs. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have set a national goal to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030. The shared table initiative has the support of both agencies. They recognize this program can encourage our students to eat healthy and at the same time reduce waste. The goal of this legislation is to help address hunger among our students, and at the same time, diminish the amount of food that goes to waste each day in our schools. As legislators, we need to acknowledge the fact that hunger is a significant problem throughout Pennsylvania and our country. No child should have to go without enough food to eat. Please join me in co-sponsoring this much needed legislation |
Introduced as HB1286