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American Families Worry About End to Free School Lunches

As gas and food prices rise in the United¹ States, some families are worried about having to pay for something else in the fall: lunch for their children at school.

For at least the last two school years, many parents did not have to worry about preparing or buying their school-aged children lunch. That is because emergency government funding during the early part of the coronavirus pandemic included food aid for children. The aid covered lunch for children during the school year and during the summer for many families.

But the free lunch funding is set to end in several states before the start of the next school year.

Before the pandemic, Kate Murphy of Vermont and her family did not have enough money to pay for their four children to buy lunch at school. Instead, they purchased lunch foods in large amounts and sent their children to school with food each morning.

But when the pandemic hit, the U.S. government made lunch money available to most schools. The support came at a critical³ time for the Murphy family, because Kate's husband had lost his job. Because of the free lunch program, the Murphys had one less financial concern.

But now the family may have to worry about lunch again. Murphy said her family earns a bit too much money to qualify⁴ for free lunches based on the old program's income rules.

Experts say the end of the school lunch aid and other programs that helped families save money means⁵ more will have to get help from food banks. Food banks provide meals and food for no cost to families and individuals in need.

Vince Hall is a government relations officer for Feeding America, a group of food banks across the U.S. He said many families are now "facing a very difficult reality of having to choose between feeding their kids or filling up their gas tanks or purchasing medicine."

The U.S. Agriculture Department oversees⁶ the school meal program. Cindy Long is an administrator⁷ for the department's Food and Nutrition⁸ Service. She said that, during the pandemic, the number of children getting free meals increased from 20 million to 30 million.

A summer meal program in 2020 gave out 1.3 billion meals and snacks. The total cost was $4.1 billion. That was eight times greater than program costs from a year earlier.

President Joe Biden recently signed a bill that should keep summer meal programs running in the same way they did during the first two summers of the pandemic.

Some states are using their own money to make the free meals permanent⁹. California¹⁰ and Maine did that last year. Massachusetts and Colorado are working on state proposals¹¹ that would provide food aid for at least one more school year.

Vermont, where the Murphy family lives, said it would use extra money in the education budget to fund² food aid for the upcoming year.

"Our kids have so much to worry about these days, and food shouldn't be one of them," Kate Murphy said.

On a recent day at the Albert D. Lawton school in Vermont, students ate pizza and salad with their friends. One student, Ethan Pringle, said it is hard to learn when you feel hungry.

"Not everybody has the same situation at home," he said. "So I think free lunch, it makes it easier for everybody."

Words in This Story

funding– n. money that usually comes from an outside source¹² to pay for something

qualify –v. to have the right to do something

income – n. the amount of money earned for a job or from investments¹³

snack – n. a small amount of food usually eaten outside of regular meal times

1 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

2 fund   

n.基金，资金，存款，财源，贮藏；vt.提供资金，积累

参考例句：

• They decided to set up a fund for this purpose.他们决定为此专立一项基金。
• This fund may not be drawn on without permission.这笔钱非经批准不得动用。

3 critical   

adj.批评的，评论的；危急的，紧要的；临界的

参考例句：

• We are at a critical time in history.我们正处在历史的危急时刻。
• Now that the situation becomes critical,one must keep calm.事到临头，要沉住气。

4 qualify   

vt.取得资格，有资格，限定，描述；vi.取得资格，有资格

参考例句：

• I won't qualify until next year.我明年才具备资格。
• You must qualify yourself for the post.你必须使自己具备担任这一工作的资格。

5 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

6 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

7 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

8 nutrition   

n.营养，营养学

参考例句：

• Plants get the nutrition from the soil in which they grow.植物从它们赖以生存的土壤中吸收养分。
• This food provides nutrition for you.这种食物为你提供营养。

9 permanent   

adj.永久的，不变的，固定的

参考例句：

• The coat gives permanent protection against heavy rain.这种防雨衣经久耐用。
• It's difficult to find a permanent cure for this disease.这病很难除根。

10 California   

n.加利福尼亚(美国)

参考例句：

• He was elected governor of the state of California.他当选为加州州长。
• We were driving on a California freeway.我们正沿着加利福尼亚的一条快车道驾车行驶。

11 proposals   

n.提议( proposal的名词复数 )；推荐；求婚；赞成提案

参考例句：

• The director has given her assent to the proposals. 负责人已表示同意提案。
• The police gave the proposals their full backing. 警方对这些提案给予全力支持。

12 source   

n.来源，水源；原始资料

参考例句：

• They mentioned you as a good source of information.他们说你消息灵通。
• All works of art have life as their source.一切文艺创作都来源于生活。

13 investments   

n.投资( investment的名词复数 )；投资额；（时间、精力的）投入；值得买的东西

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile, investments are at great risk. 由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All their money was tied up in long-term investments. 他们所有的钱都搁死在长线投资上了。 来自《简明英汉词典》