Kids can’t learn if they’re hungry.
That’s the reason the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence (MFEE) and the Montclair Public Schools (MPS) are teaming up to help students access healthy meals.
With support from a Rutgers University grant, MFEE and MPS are working together to raise awareness of and access to the Free and Reduced Lunch Program, a national school lunch program administered by the state. Qualifying students receive no- or low-cost healthy food at breakfast and lunch, as well as other economic supports, such as waived testing fees, discounts on child care and summer camps, assistance covering field trip costs and more.
“Ensuring that every child enters the classroom ready to learn means meeting their most basic needs—including access to nutritious meals. We are proud to collaborate with MFEE to remove barriers for families and promote programs that support student well-being. This is about more than lunch—it’s about equity, dignity and giving every student the opportunity to thrive,” said Ruth B. Turner, Superintendent, Montclair Public Schools.
MFEE Executive Director Masiel Rodriquez-Vars added, “This work has taken on greater urgency in the face of national policies cutting funds for food programs that children need to help them succeed in the classroom and beyond.”
Through its Navegadores Escolares program, which helps immigrant families navigate Montclair schools, MFEE has helped dozens of local families enroll in the Free and Reduced Lunch Program and make use of the benefits. This complements the District’s commitment to the nutritional well-being of all MPS students. This grant allows MFEE to share its expertise and help more students by partnering with the District.
“We’ve learned through experience that families may not know they are eligible, have trouble applying, or have understandable concerns about privacy,” said Dory Hack, MFEE’s director of innovative programs. “A lot of families in Montclair are struggling with lunch debt they never should have had to begin with, and don’t know about the benefits that go beyond the school cafeteria. We’re so pleased to partner with the District to connect families to these essential supports.”
As part of these efforts, MFEE and MPS co-hosted an information booth at the Montclair African-American Heritage Parade and Festival on June 7. They will also be attending other events in the lead up to the start of school, including the 18th Annual Back 2 School Event hosted by the Sentinels 16-87 later this summer.
MFEE is also working with other community organizations to help share materials (in both English and Spanish) and facilitate sign-ups during in-person workshops later this summer, when the Free and Reduced Lunch Program application window opens in August. MFEE and MPS hope to help enroll families before school starts so they can access the full range of services all year.
Additionally, MFEE is sharing information about SNAP – a federally-funded program that provides food benefits to low-income families – and connecting families who may be eligible with official SNAP navigators at the YMCA of Montclair.
For questions about applying for the school lunch program contact Reddrick Robinson at rrobinson@montclair.k12.nj.us.
For information about MFEE’s outreach efforts, contact Dory Hack at dory@mfee.org.
