STATEMENT: No Kid Hungry on Virginia Budget Proposal's Investment in Nutrition Programs

Contact: Christy Felling, 202.320.4483

Richmond, V.A. – This week, Governor Ralph Northam unveiled his new budget proposal to Virginia's General Assembly. Included in his plan were a variety of investments in programs that will help more children from low-income families access the food they need more effectively and efficiently, both at home and at school. The following are statements from Share Our Strength National Policy Advisor Dorothy McAuliffe and Claire Mansfield, Director of No Kid Hungry Virginia. 

Dorothy McAuliffe, Share Our Strength National Policy Advisor, Chair of No Kid Hungry Virginia and former First Lady of Virginia:

“This week’s budget proposal from Governor Northam, which contains crucial investments in the programs that feed Virginia’s children, is a huge step in the right direction in treating school meals as the essential school resource that they are.

Investing in strong policies to nourish children is not just the right thing to do; it’s also the smart thing. Children can't be hungry for knowledge if they are just plain hungry. When we ensure that kids are getting the food they need in the morning and over the summer months, we know they are better able to stay healthy and learn. And when kids consistently get the nutrition they need, they're more likely to graduate, get good-paying jobs, and break the vicious cycle of entrenched, intergenerational poverty.

In our land of plenty, we must never ask our children to settle for less. Virginia has made great strides making sure children are fed, and this budget will continue that forward momentum into the future.” 

Claire Mansfield, Director of No Kid Hungry Virginia:

“On behalf of the No Kid Hungry campaign, I would like to thank Governor Northam for his leadership in the fight to end childhood hunger in Virginia. The investments he proposed as part of his 2020-2022 Biennial Budget will help thousands of children in the Commonwealth get more of the nutrition they need throughout the year.

More than 250,000 children in Virginia live in families that struggle with hunger. In order to close the gap between children who have enough to eat and those who do not, it’s important to make sure kids have access to food when they need it, regardless of where they live, how old they are, or what time of year it is. 

This budget invests in effective, efficient ways to reach more kids with school breakfast, which helps kids get the most out of their academic day. It also will pilot new ways to feed kids in need during the summer months, which keeps kids healthy and helps stop the ‘summer slide.’
 
When we invest in nutrition programs, we invest in our children, helping them grow up educated, healthy and strong. These policies will help thousands of children across our state get the nutrition they need all year long.”