FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Diane Pratt-Heavner
301-686-3124
media@schoolnutrition.org
School Nutrition Professionals to Call on Congress to Protect School Meals
2017-03-30
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Next week, more than 900 school nutrition professionals head to Capitol Hill to urge Congress to protect and strengthen school meal programs for the more than 30 million students they serve every school day. The effort is part of School Nutrition Association’s (SNA) 45th annual Legislative Action Conference (LAC), April 2-4.
The conference culminates in Tuesday’s “Charge to the Hill,” where attendees will share with Congress their school districts’ concerns regarding school nutrition programs. LAC attendees will meet with their House and Senate members to discuss SNA’s 2017 Position Paper, which calls on Congress to oppose school meal block grants, expand USDA Foods to support the School Breakfast Program, and provide practical flexibility under a few of the nutrition standards for school meals.
Last year’s House-proposed block grant threatened to slash funds for school nutrition, limit student access to healthy meals and abolish all federal school nutrition standards. “SNA members will send Congress a resounding message that block grants will harm students and cripple school meal programs, which ensure America’s children have the nutrition they need to succeed in school,” said SNA President Becky Domokos-Bays, PhD, RD, SNS.
On Monday, LAC attendees from across the nation will hear from Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) and other Washington insiders on the impact of the new Congress and Administration on child nutrition programs. LAC attendees will also participate in breakout and general sessions designed to share best practices for improving school nutrition programs.
For more information, or to attend LAC, media should contact Diane Pratt-Heavner at media@schoolnutrition.org. Be sure to follow the discussion at #LAC17.
About School Nutrition Association:
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is a national, non-profit professional organization representing 57,000 school nutrition professionals across the country. Founded in 1946, SNA and its members are dedicated to making healthy school meals and nutrition education available to all students. For more information on school meals, visit www.SchoolNutrition.org/SchoolMeals.
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