One Year After the End of Universal
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Hunger in Kansas is a policy choice, and expanding access to school nutrition programs to relieve the burden of unpaid meal fees is no different. More than 90,000 children in the state face food insecurity, and school meals are one of the most effective ways to give low-income students guaranteed access to food. Students who participate in school meals not only benefit from improved health outcomes, but they also display better test scores, fewer school absences, and fewer behavioral referrals. However, many barriers like cost and limited eligibility for meal-assistance programs can prevent school-aged kids in Kansas from accessing the nutrition they need to succeed. Read our report to learn more about the barriers Kansas children experience in their cafeterias and then download our election toolkit to learn how to engage with school board candidates this election season.
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Eliminating the Burden of School Meal Debt
Through collaboration among community members, local school districts, the Kansas State Department of Education, and beyond, Kansans can identify long-term solutions that work for them and relieve the burden of school meal debt. Read our brief to learn more about school meal debt and how to address school meal debt policies.
Hunger in South-Central KansasTo analyze hunger in South-Central Kansas, Kansas Appleseed focused on data and community insights from the following counties: Barber, Butler, Comanche, Cowley, Edwards, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Kiowa, Marion, McPherson, Pratt, Reno, Sedgwick, Stafford, and Sumner. According to the report, low SNAP participation, state policy, and transportation issues are key barriers to addressing hunger in Southeast Kansas.
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Hunger in Southeast KansasDespite being the largest and most effective program for reducing hunger, SNAP participation has decreased consistently in Southeast Kansas while food insecurity remains high. This report follows a series of community conversations on hunger and examines food accessibility in the following 10 counties: Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson and Woodson
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We're working to:
- Connect more Kansans with food assistance (SNAP)
- Increase access to and participation in Child Nutrition Programs
- Engage more Kansans in anti-hunger advocacy