Nashua Schools, Nonprofits Promote Federal School Lunch Program

NASHUA, NH — Nashua School District employees, local politicians and representatives from local charities and businesses gathered Thursday at Nashua South High School for a press conference to promote the federal lunch program to qualifying families.

For the last two years, school breakfasts and lunches were free to students regardless of their family's income after Congress authorized the U.S. Department of Agriculture to issue child nutrition waivers during the early days of the pandemic.

But Congress did not extend those waivers when they expired this past summer, and Nashua schools, like most schools around the country, have returned to regular-priced lunches.

However, families that qualify can apply for free and reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

School district officials said 38 percent of families in the district have signed up for the program, but there are additional families who qualify.

The district officials said some families may not even realize all the benefits of signing up for the program, like: reduced athletic fees, reduced transportation costs and reduced PSAT/AP test and college application fees.

Of course, eliminating food insecurity is the most important benefit of the program.

"The importance of our food service program cannot be overstated," said Kimberly Sarfde, assistant superintendent of elementary schools at Nashua School District. "Like many school districts, Nashua has seen a surge in students who are eligible for the program. In fact, in the last 10 to 15 years, that percentage has more than doubled from 20 percent to more than 40 percent. Just this year to date, 38 percent of our families have signed up for federal support, and we fully expect that number to rise."

During the press conference, several speakers highlighted the work the Nashua School District Food Service staff does every day to feed children in the district and celebrated the work the staff did to help children and families during the pandemic.

"Things get done in Nashua with collaboration. More than 125,000 breakfasts and lunches were distributed among Nashua students during the pandemic, when students were learning remotely, by more than 300 volunteers," said Mike Apfelberg, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Nashua.

Among the other speakers at the press conference were: Laura Milliken, executive director of New Hampshire Hunger Solutions, Shoshanna Kelly, alderwoman at-large on the City of Nashua Board of Aldermen, Betsy Houde, director of community partnerships and Legacy Trust at Southern New Hampshire Health and Jessica Gorhan, deputy director of New Hampshire Hunger Solutions.