York City School District awarded more than a quarter million dollars to provide fresh produce to students
Central PA Delegation August 16, 2023 | 10:56 AM
YORK, Aug. 16 – Students at eight schools in the School District of the City of York will see more fresh produce available at no cost, thanks to new grant funding of $257,256 from the federal Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, announced state Rep. Carol Hill-Evans, D-York.
Hill-Evans said the grants will allow the schools to provide free fresh fruits and vegetables to students throughout the school day to supplement their regular school meals. The food will be provided separately from lunch and breakfast and made available in multiple areas throughout each school.
“Do you perform well at your job when you’re hungry? Neither do kids, whose job is learning at school,” Hill-Evans said. “Making sure their stomachs stay full of nutritious food all day long helps them be in the best shape to learn and develop a taste for healthy snacks.”
Hill-Evans said the funding is in addition to the universal free breakfast program to be implemented this coming school year as part of the state budget’s investment into public education. More than 68,000 students in York County will qualify.
The FFVP funding is earmarked for:
- Davis School: $29,160
- Devers School: $39,240
- Ferguson School: $35,496
- Goode School: $37,512
- Hannah Penn School: $37,512
- Jackson School: $27,936
- McKinley School: $32,400
- Smith STEAM Academy: $18,000
The FFVP aims to introduce children to new, wider varieties of fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables, Hill-Evans said, and promotes nutrition education.
To be eligible, schools must participate in the National School Lunch Program. The FFVP prioritizes schools with the highest percentage of children eligible for free and reduced-price meals to give children from low-income families more opportunities to regularly consume fresh produce.