Every Child Needs a Healthy Lunch

By Margie Donlon and Luanne Peterpaul

Luanne Peterpaul and Dr. Margie Donlon

In New Jersey, 812,440 people are facing hunger – and 197,280 of them are children.

That’s one in every 10 children in our state, according to Feeding America.

Hunger can affect people from all walks of life. Millions of people in America are just one job loss, missed paycheck, or medical emergency away from hunger. But hunger doesn’t affect everyone equally – some groups like children and seniors, face hunger at much higher rates.

Children who don’t get enough to eat can suffer lifelong negative results, such as higher risks of health conditions like anemia and asthma. Kids who don’t get enough food to eat experience trouble focusing and learning in school. Hunger can change how a child’s brain and body grow and affect their thinking, learning, and behavior.

That’s why we, and our LD11 partner Senator Vin Gopal, are trying to raise awareness for the Summer EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) program. Administered by the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA), Summer EBT is a child nutrition program intended to reduce hunger and food insecurity for children during the summer when school is not in session.

More than 450,000 of New Jersey’s 1.4 million public school students are considered economically disadvantaged, according to the state Department of Education. More than 395,000 students in the state relied on free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch between 2019 and 2020, according to federal data.

New Jersey has taken a very proactive approach to fight hunger in creating the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA). This new government agency is the first executive-level office of its kind in the nation. OFSA is responsible for coordinating the administration of the State’s food security programs, advocating for residents experiencing food insecurity, and advancing policy to secure greater access to food relief programs in New Jersey.

One of OFSA’s goals is to develop a sustainable, long-term food system that does not compromise economic, social or the environment for the future.

Under Summer EBT, most families receiving them will get these benefits automatically. But some parents will need to apply. The new program is in addition to free meals that kids of all ages can get at summer meal sites in their communities.

Families who submit school meal applications before April 19 will be among the first to receive the cash benefit in June. Parents can still submit school meal applications and household surveys after April 19 and throughout the summer to their schools. New Jersey will send a Summer EBT card to eligible children’s homes to purchase $120 worth of healthier food for each child in the home at participating retailers when school’s out. You will find more information about Summer EBT at www.nj.gov/summerebt. You can also  contact your child’s school to fill out a school meal application and to check your eligibility.

We are fortunate to have so many generous volunteers operating local food pantries in Monmouth County, as well as programs such as the Backpack Crew. Run as a ministry of the United Methodist Church of Red Bank, the BackPack Crew programs send backpacks of food home on the weekends with children who rely on schools for their breakfast or lunch during the week.

But we all can help by spreading awareness. If you want to help feed children who are food insecure, we urge you to donate or volunteer at the local food pantries where you live. When we make sure children have enough nourishing food to eat, we not only strengthen them, we build stronger communities for everyone.

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Assemblywoman Luanne Peterpaul is a member of the Assembly Commerce, Economic Development & Agriculture and the Aging & Human Services Committees. Dr. Margie Donlon is a member of the Assembly Health and the Tourism, Gaming & the Arts committees. They represent residents of Asbury Park, Allenhurst, Bradley Beach, Colts Neck, Deal, Eatontown, Fair Haven, Freehold, Freehold Township, Interlaken, Loch Arbor, Long Branch, Neptune City, Neptune Township, Ocean Township, Red Bank, Tinton Falls, Shrewsbury, and Shrewsbury Township in the State Assembly.