Kenyatta, O’Mara comment on budget funding for hunger free campus program

HARRISBURG, July 8 – State Reps. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Phila., and Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware, are applauding the inclusion of the hunger free campus initiative they have championed in Harrisburg in this year’s state budget.

Kenyatta and O’Mara were the lead co-sponsors of the program.

O’Mara said the following:

“One in nine people in our state are struggling with hunger. Furthermore, between one-third and one-half of college students are food-insecure. Representative Kenyatta and I recognized this problem over a year ago and introduced the Hunger Free Campus Act to ensure that every student can easily access nutritious food. We are immensely proud to see $1 million dollars finally reserved in this year’s budget to address this crisis that touches every corner of the commonwealth. As a first-generation college student who worked three jobs and took out extra student loans to be able to afford tuition, textbooks, and food, I know how necessary this initiative is to Pennsylvania’s students.” 

Kenyatta agreed with O’Mara.

“One in nine people in our state are struggling with hunger. Furthermore, between one-third and one-half of college students are food-insecure. Representative O’Mara and I recognized this problem over a year ago and introduced the Hunger Free Campus Act to ensure that every student can easily access nutritious food.”

He continued.

“We engaged stakeholders, rallied students across the commonwealth, and we are immensely proud to see $1 million dollars finally reserved in this year’s budget to address this crisis that touches every corner of the commonwealth. As a college student who worked multiple jobs and took out extra student loans to be able to afford tuition, textbooks, and food, I know how necessary this initiative is to Pennsylvania’s students.”