Matzie: $85,000 awarded to boost fresh fruits and vegetables for grade-schoolers

Rep. Robert Matzie    September 1, 2022 | 9:51 AM

AMBRIDGE, Aug. 31 – More fresh produce is headed to Beaver County elementary schools, thanks to nearly $85,000 in grant funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Beaver, announced today.

Matzie said the funding awarded under the USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program includes $38,570 to the Aliquippa School District, $22,330 to the Ambridge Area School District and $24,080 to the Rochester Area School District.

“Providing fresh produce for school snacks helps kids concentrate and retain information better and gives them stronger resistance to germs and illness,” Matzie said. “Better nutrition is tied to better test scores, fewer absences and kids that are more energized to learn. Securing this funding is going to help fuel learning in all the right ways.”

Funding priority was given to the schools with the highest rates of students eligible for free and reduced-price meals.

More information about the grants is available here, and a full list of the schools receiving funding is available here. 

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