Hawai‘i To Receive Nearly $5 Million For School Meal Programs To Help Feed Children, Keep Kids Healthy

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that Hawai‘i will receive $4,933,437 in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fund school food programs. This new federal funding will provide meals for children, assisting families facing food insecurity and helping to address food shortages due to supply chain issues.

“Kids throughout Hawai‘i get a nutritious meal at school every day,” said Senator Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “While we work to address supply chain issues, this new federal funding will support Hawai‘i families by making sure their children continue getting these high-quality meals.”

This new funding is part of $1.5 billion in USDA grants for states and school districts to address supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic and make sure increased food costs don’t harm school meal programs. It includes grants from USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service program for school districts to improve the quality and consistency of school meals; from USDA Foods to purchase food products and offset supply chain disruptions; and from USDA’s Local Food for Schools program to purchase domestic foods and strengthen local food systems.

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