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Resolution

Ensuring Continuous Nutritional Support for K-12 Students During Summer Recess

WHEREAS, Consistent access to nutritious meals is paramount for the physical growth, cognitive development, and overall well-being of children and adolescents; and 

WHEREAS, The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) serves as a critical source of balanced, nutritious meals for millions of students across the United States during the academic year, with over 29.6 million children receiving lunch through the program daily; and 

WHEREAS, A significant number of these students come from low-income families and rely on the NSLP for their primary source of nutrition, with the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) reporting that 75% of the meals served under the NSLP are either free or at a reduced price; and 

WHEREAS, The onset of summer recess creates a nutritional gap for these students, leaving them vulnerable to food insecurity, as highlighted by the USDA's Economic Research Service, which found that children and adolescents are at a higher risk of experiencing food insecurity during summer months; and 

WHEREAS, The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), designed to bridge this gap, reaches only a fraction of those in need, with the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) noting that only 1 in 7 children who receive free or reduced-price lunches during the school year benefit from the SFSP; and 

WHEREAS, The lack of adequate nutrition during the summer can lead to negative outcomes such as summer learning loss, weight gain, increased risk of type 2 diabetes, and health complications, thus widening the achievement gap between low-income students and their more affluent peers. 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People calls upon local, state, and federal policymakers to: 

  1. Expand the availability and accessibility of the SFSP to ensure that no child goes hungry during the summer months. 
  2. Enhance community outreach and awareness campaigns to ensure families are informed of the availability of summer meal programs.
  3. Encourage partnerships between schools, non-profit organizations, community centers, and local businesses to provide stable, accessible sites for summer meal distribution.
  4. Advocate for policy changes that simplify the SFSP application process, reducing administrative barriers for schools and community organizations wishing to participate.
  5. Promote the integration of educational and enrichment activities within summer meal programs to address summer learning loss and engage students in a constructive manner during the recess period.
  6. Secure sustainable funding to support the expansion and enhancement of summer meal programs, ensuring that these essential services are not subject to the whims of annual budgetary constraints.

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