FIELD’S EPIC Charter High Schools Receive Healthy Meals Incentives Grant
BAKERSFIELD, CA: FIELD is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded a $150,000 Healthy Meals Incentives grant from Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK), to support its efforts to create kitchen facilities at its Union Avenue property, which will allow students at its EPIC de Cesar Chavez charter high schools for adults to receive healthy, nutritious meals. The grant is part of an allocation of nearly $30 million by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service for 264 schools across 44 states and the District of Columbia.
“We are so grateful for this grant that will allow us to build out a fully equipped kitchen at our Union Avenue facility,” said FIELD’s Director of Nutrition Services, Helena Villarino-Wright. “This grant will have a positive impact on all our students. We’ll be able to create scratch-cooked hot nutritious meals, instead of the shelf-stable meals we’ve had to provide up until now. We want to thank AFHK and the USDA for all their assistance in making this possible.”
“Offering healthier school meals is key to helping our nation’s [students] get the nutrients they need today and for their long-term development,” said Action for Healthy Kids CEO Rob Bisceglie. “Through this historic investment in school nutrition, we will help school districts across the country overcome challenges and develop solutions to provide nutritious foods for the [students] they serve.”
An online map on the Healthy Meals Incentives website features the selected school districts and their grant amounts.
“Students in every community deserve access to healthy and nutritious meals,” said USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small. “This announcement demonstrates the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to creating healthier, brighter futures. With these funds, small and rural school districts will be able to modernize their operations and provide more nutritious meals, helping students succeed in the classroom and beyond.”