Rev. Carol Steinbrecher, First Congregational Church of Sharon · hunger relief efforts because we...
2
May 16, 2019 Dear Honorable Members of the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Education: We, the undersigned clergy of different faiths in Massachusetts, are writing in support of Senate Bill 267 and House Bill 591, “An Act regarding Breakfast after the Bell.” Our faith organizations all participate in hunger relief efforts because we feel called to “feed the hungry and satisfy those in need” (Isaiah 58:10). In the United States, 40 percent of the food we produce is wasted, yet one in eight Americans is food insecure, including far too many children here in Massachusetts. Children living in food insecure households are academically disadvantaged and have an increased likelihood of physical and mental health issues, including behavioral disorders. This problem is solvable, and there is a straightforward, federally-funded, and effective response before you today. “An Act regarding Breakfast after the Bell” would require all public K-12 schools in Massachusetts with 60 percent or more students eligible for free and reduced-price meals to offer breakfast after the instructional day begins. Currently, breakfast is provided in Massachusetts schools, but it is offered before the bell rings, often before busses arrive. In addition, it is offered in the cafeteria, where students have to single themselves out to get breakfast – that is if they have time before the school day starts. In Massachusetts schools with 60% or more students qualifying for free and reduced- price breakfast, nearly 300,000 children qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, but only about 150,000 students currently participate in breakfast programs. The solution is to universally provide breakfast for everyone without stigma after the bell rings when all students are present. Breakfast After the Bell legislation allows the approximately 700 Massachusetts high-poverty schools to offer breakfast after the bell through a delivery model that works best for their schools, staff, and students: breakfast in the classroom, grab-and-go, or second-chance breakfast. Breakfast After the Bell legislation has successfully passed in Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, New Mexico, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Prior to the legislation, Colorado ranked 44 th in the nation for school breakfast participation. Today, it ranks 17 th . Currently, Massachusetts ranks 33 rd in the nation, unchanged from last year. We can, and must, do better. A federally reimbursed program, the National School Breakfast program has the potential to provide up to $25 million in additional reimbursements statewide to Massachusetts school districts that increase participation rates to 80 percent and above. These reimbursements, made directly to school nutrition departments, support jobs and healthier menu options, including locally sourced food. While houses of faith can supplement anti-hunger efforts in our communities, we need a systematic approach to address childhood hunger. Clergy of many faiths support the Rise and Shine Massachusetts coalition in urging you to support this critical piece of legislation in the fight to end childhood hunger in our state. A child who shows up to school in the morning, not having eaten since school lunch the previous day, cannot be successful. All children deserve to start their school day fed and ready to learn. “The world itself rests on the spirit of schoolchildren” (Talmud, Shabbat 119b). Thank you, (signatures on the following page)
Transcript of Rev. Carol Steinbrecher, First Congregational Church of Sharon · hunger relief efforts because we...
May16,2019
DearHonorableMembersoftheMassachusettsJointCommitteeonEducation:
We,theundersignedclergyofdifferentfaithsinMassachusetts,arewritinginsupportofSenateBill267andHouseBill591,“AnActregardingBreakfastaftertheBell.”Ourfaithorganizationsallparticipateinhungerreliefeffortsbecausewefeelcalledto“feedthehungryandsatisfythoseinneed”(Isaiah58:10).IntheUnitedStates,40percentofthefoodweproduceiswasted,yetoneineightAmericansisfoodinsecure,includingfartoomanychildrenhereinMassachusetts.Childrenlivinginfoodinsecurehouseholdsareacademicallydisadvantagedandhaveanincreasedlikelihoodofphysicalandmentalhealthissues,includingbehavioraldisorders.
Thisproblemissolvable,andthereisastraightforward,federally-funded,andeffectiveresponsebeforeyoutoday.“AnActregardingBreakfastaftertheBell”wouldrequireallpublicK-12schoolsinMassachusettswith60percentormorestudentseligibleforfreeandreduced-pricemealstoofferbreakfastaftertheinstructionaldaybegins.Currently,breakfastisprovidedinMassachusettsschools,butitisofferedbeforethebellrings,oftenbeforebussesarrive.Inaddition,itisofferedinthecafeteria,wherestudentshavetosinglethemselvesouttogetbreakfast–thatisiftheyhavetimebeforetheschooldaystarts.InMassachusettsschoolswith60%ormorestudentsqualifyingforfreeandreduced-pricebreakfast,nearly300,000childrenqualifyforfreeorreduced-priceschoolmeals,butonlyabout150,000studentscurrentlyparticipateinbreakfastprograms.Thesolutionistouniversallyprovidebreakfastforeveryonewithoutstigmaafterthebellringswhenallstudentsarepresent.
BreakfastAftertheBelllegislationallowstheapproximately700Massachusettshigh-povertyschoolstoofferbreakfastafterthebellthroughadeliverymodelthatworksbestfortheirschools,staff,andstudents:breakfastintheclassroom,grab-and-go,orsecond-chancebreakfast.BreakfastAftertheBelllegislationhassuccessfullypassedinColorado,Illinois,Nevada,NewMexico,WestVirginia,andtheDistrictofColumbia.Priortothelegislation,Coloradoranked44thinthenationforschoolbreakfastparticipation.Today,itranks17th.Currently,Massachusettsranks33rdinthenation,unchangedfromlastyear.Wecan,andmust,dobetter.
Afederallyreimbursedprogram,theNationalSchoolBreakfastprogramhasthepotentialtoprovideupto$25millioninadditionalreimbursementsstatewidetoMassachusettsschooldistrictsthatincreaseparticipationratesto80percentandabove.Thesereimbursements,madedirectlytoschoolnutritiondepartments,supportjobsandhealthiermenuoptions,includinglocallysourcedfood.
Whilehousesoffaithcansupplementanti-hungereffortsinourcommunities,weneedasystematicapproachtoaddresschildhoodhunger.ClergyofmanyfaithssupporttheRiseandShineMassachusettscoalitioninurgingyoutosupportthiscriticalpieceoflegislationinthefighttoendchildhoodhungerinourstate.Achildwhoshowsuptoschoolinthemorning,nothavingeatensinceschoollunchthepreviousday,cannotbesuccessful.Allchildrendeservetostarttheirschooldayfedandreadytolearn.“Theworlditselfrestsonthespiritofschoolchildren”(Talmud,Shabbat119b).
Thankyou,
(signaturesonthefollowingpage)
RabbiJosephB.Meszler,TempleSinaiinSharon,RiseandShineMassachusettsCoalitionmemberRev.LoisK.Adams,FirstBaptistChurch,SharonFatherFrankDaly,SharonRabbiRonFish,SharonTheRev.Dr.JenniferPhillips,RectorSt.John’sEpiscopalChurch,WestwoodRev.FrancisBalla,HopeChurch,SharonElderPatrickTillerHopeChurch,SharonPastorDaveCapozzi,BrocktonCovenantChurchRabbiJulieZupan,SharonRabbiAmyGoodman,TempleSinaiinSharonRabbiRandyKafka,SharonInterfaithActionRev.CarolSteinbrecher,FirstCongregationalChurchofSharonRabbiNealGold,NatickRabbiDavidJaffe,KirvaInstituteRabbiKarenCitrin,TempleBethDavid,WestwoodRabbiMicahCitrin,TempleBethDavid,WestwoodRabbiGavrielGoldfeder,SharonRabbiArielBurger,SharonRabbiStephenArnold,HinghamRabbiRachelGurevitz,CongregationB’naiShalom,WestboroughRabbiTomAlpert,TempleEtzChaim,FranklinRabbiJodieGordon,SouthernBerkshireRabbiRiqiKosovske,BeithAhavahReformSynagogueofGreaterNorthHamptonRabbiDebbieZecher,SouthernBerkshireRabbiJulieWolkoff,WelleslyRabbiAllisonBerry,TempleShalomofNewtonRabbiRobinSparr,TempleEmanueloftheMerrimackValleyRabbiLauraAbrasley,TempleShalomofNewtonRabbiJoelBaron,BostonRabbiRachelSilverman,TempleIsraelinSharonRabbiJoshuaBreindel,CongregationBethEloftheSudburyRiverValleyRabbiAudreyMarcusBerkman,TempleOhabeiShalom,BrooklineAaronAgulnek,DirectorofGovernmentAffairs,JewishCommunityRelationsCouncil(JCRC)RabbiSerenaFujita,SomervilleRabbiKennethCarr,EastonRabbiHowardJaffe,LexingtonRabbiJenniferGubitz,TempleIsraelofBostonRabbiEricGurvis,NewtonRabbiRonneFriedman,TempleIsraelofBostonRabbiAndyVogel,BrooklineRabbiDavidJ.Meyer,TempleEmanu-El,MarbleheadPastorJamesBixby,CliftonLutheranChurch,MarbleheadTheRev.Dr.DennisB.Calhoun,MarbleheadRev.SusanMorrison,ArlingtonMinisterSallyA.Schreiber-Cohn,UinversalWorshipoftheInayatiOrder,MarbleheadRev.WendyL.Bell,InterimMinister,UnitarianChurchofSharonRev.DevlinScottofNewCityChurch,Newton,MA
