Back‑to‑School, Not Back to Hunger: How You Can Help Kids Succeed
1. New School Year, Same Hunger Risk
When classes resume each fall, thousands of students in Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore start the day unsure whether lunch will be waiting for them. More than 152,000 neighbors in our region—many of whom are children—live in food-insecure households. Without consistent back-to-school food programs, these students face an immediate disadvantage: they cannot concentrate on reading or math when their bodies are focused on the next meal.
2. Why Is School Lunch Important?
Researchers no longer ask why lunch is important; decades of data show meals served at school are often the day’s most balanced. According to the Food Research & Action Center, students who eat National School Lunch Program meals consume more fruits, vegetables, and milk than their peers who bring food from home. Consistent nutrition stabilizes blood sugar, improves attention span, and supports healthy growth—core reasons why school lunch is important for every district, regardless of income mix.
3. Healthy Eating in Schools Drives Academic Gains
Access to healthy eating in schools links directly to test scores and behavior. Children who eat from school menus meet more learning standards, have fewer absences, and show lower rates of disciplinary referrals. Conversely, hunger can double the odds of repeating a grade, and children who start behind often stay behind. Strengthening back-to-school food programs reduces remedial education costs and increases graduation rates, benefits that extend well beyond the cafeteria walls and into local workforces.
4. Barriers That Still Leave Kids Hungry
Despite proven benefits, gaps remain. Families earning just above the free‑meal cutoff may still struggle to pay lunch fees, leading to meal debt and the stigma that surrounds it. Some districts use “alternative meals” or debt‑collection letters that single out children, prompting many to skip lunch altogether. Transportation also matters: students who arrive late miss breakfast service entirely.
During the pandemic, federal waivers allowed every student to eat at no charge and enabled districts to serve meals outside the cafeteria. Once these waivers expired, districts in our region reported meal‑debt balances climbing within months, and breakfast counts fell when grab‑and‑go service ended. Restoring universal access or similar flexibilities would remove paperwork barriers and keep more children consistently nourished.
5. How the Foodbank Fills the Gaps
BackPack Program – Last year, more than 68,000 backpacks full of shelf‑stable staples went out every Friday. Teachers reported Monday morning improvements in focus, proving again why school lunch is important.
757 Mobile Market – Refrigerated trucks deliver fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins to neighborhoods where full-service groceries are scarce, reinforcing back-to-school food programs by improving dinner options at home.
Campus Pantries – College partnerships place free groceries within walking distance of lecture halls, recognizing that food insecurity persists beyond high school graduation.
6. Community Actions That Change Outcomes
Call for universal meals – Districts that eliminate lunch fees see an increase in participation and a decrease in stigma, making it one of the most effective ways to strengthen back-to-school food programs.
Volunteer a shift – Sorting produce, assembling BackPack bags, or assisting at Food Hubs turns donated food into kid‑ready meals and keeps distribution costs low.
Donate funds – Every dollar the Foodbank receives stretches into two nutritious meals, allowing expansion to new schools and after‑school sites.
Share the facts – Explaining why lunch is important to neighbors, civic groups, and local leaders builds community-wide backing for breakfast after the bell, salad bars, and scratch-cooking grants.
When students can rely on nutritious meals, attendance improves, school nurses see fewer hunger‑related complaints, and teachers spend more time teaching. Strong back-to-school food programs lift entire communities and reduce long‑term healthcare costs.
7. Help Close the Nutrition Gap Before the First Bell Rings
Even after distributing more than 24 million pounds of food last year, thousands of local students will still arrive at school this fall without a reliable meal. Your gift expands BackPack bags, Kids Café meals, and Mobile Market stops, so children start each day nourished and ready to learn.
See how you can help by donating, volunteering, or spreading the word, and keep hunger off the syllabus for every student in Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore.