Hunger is a Policy Choice
50%
of Kansas children receive assistance from the free and reduced meal program.
1 in 15
Kansans utilize SNAP food assistance.
68%
of Kansans who participate in SNAP are families with children.
Our Research
Resources
At the Lunch Table
At the Lunch Table is a statewide coalition that aims to convene champions and advocates working on efforts to increase food security among students through school nutrition programs and promising practices. This is open to anyone interested in convening, learning, and sharing about school nutrition programs in Kansas. This may include school district staff, food and nutrition staff, school board members, teachers, administrators, community partners, state agencies, PTAs, and other stakeholders. Meetings are held virtually via Zoom.
Hunger Action Team
At Kansas Appleseed, we believe hunger is a political decision. Sign up for our Hunger Action Team updates to learn how you can advocate for effective policy change to fight hunger in Kansas.
Community Eligibility Provision Toolkit
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a federal program that provides free meals to all students in any school in a district with a 25% or more identified student percent (ISP). CEP provides much needed nutritious meals and eases the financial burden for their families.
Engaging School Board Members Toolkit
School board members can serve as leaders in the fight against hunger. Their role includes setting policy along with budget authority. All aspects of the school meals programs fall under the school board’s purview, including which federal programs they participate in (such as the Community Eligibility Provision).
School Meal Fees Policies Toolkit
School meals have been shown to improve student health, test scores, attendance, and behavior. When school meal debt exists, children are the first to suffer the consequences as they face missing out on meals while still being expected to behave and perform at the same level as their peers. Strong policies prevent student identification, ensure access to activities, and keep meal debt discussions between adults.
In the News
Sister Therese Bangert writes about how a Kansas bill would move to block Summer EBT and how we got here. Read more here.
Read Our Latest Report, A Pathway to Universal Free Meals
In the breadbasket of America, no child should go hungry.
To learn more about how Kansas can achieve this goal, read our latest report, A Pathway to Universal Free Meals for All Kansas Children: The State of School Meals in Kansas.

