In her annual address at the Minister’s Alliance Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast, Governor Gina M. Raimondo announced today the ‘No Student Hungry’ initiative. Her proposal will ensure that no student in Rhode Island, from Pre-K through college, goes hungry.
“Every Rhode Islander-regardless of their race, or religion, or zip code-deserves a fair shot,” said Governor Raimondo. “Right now, only about half of students eligible for free or reduced breakfast actually eat breakfast at school. And as many as half of all college students say they’re going to bed hungry. So, we’re going commit to ensure that no student in Rhode Island goes hungry.”
More than one in five Rhode Island kids face hunger issues, living in households that lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis. Governor Raimondo included nearly $300,000 in her FY20 budget proposal to support the ‘No Student Hungry’ initiative ensuring that no student from Kindergarten to College goes hungry at school.
The Governor’s proposal requires eligible public schools to serve free breakfast and lunch to all students; requires public schools to serve breakfast after the school day starts so more students participate; makes it easier for low-income college students to qualify for SNAP; and matches federal funds so that SNAP recipients enrolled at CCRI can get financial support for things like transportation, books and child care.
The Governor’s FY20 budget proposal offers a long-term vision for Rhode Island. It includes a record investment in K-12 education, expands the successful Rhode Island Promise scholarship to Rhode Island College, and protects Rhode Islanders’ access to job training and health care. The ‘No Student Hungry’ initiative is fundamental to the Governor’s ambitious efforts to support students and provide every Rhode Islander with a shot at economic empowerment.
