NY Giants Star Rolls Out New ‘Breakfast Cart’ At Newark School

NEWARK, NJ — The pathway to a successful school day is paved with a good breakfast. Just ask New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton.

Last week, Slayton was on hand for the rollout of a new, “Grab-n-Go” breakfast cart at the Newark School of Global Studies cafeteria at 24 Crane Street.

The breakfast cart – a donation from national nonprofit GENYOUth – includes a milk cooler and cooler bags. It was funded by PRWeek through GENYOUth's "End Student Hunger Fund" in partnership with the American Dairy Association North East.

“I am proud to be a part of this community initiative in Newark,” a beaming Slayton said.

“As a professional football player, I’m passionate about the role nutrition plays in shaping healthy lives, both on and off the field,” Slayton continued. “So I proudly support programs that make it easier for students to get a healthy breakfast and be more active, ultimately allowing them to reach their full potential.”

According to GENYOUth, the statistics surrounding food insecurity for children in Newark and New Jersey overall underscore the need for a concerted effort to ensure meals are easily and readily accessible. One in five New Jersey children live in poverty, and in Newark public schools, students of color represent 91.6 percent, with 80.4 percent of students qualifying for free and reduced meals based on household income.

• See related article: NJ Has 1.5 Million People Living In 'Food Deserts,' Officials Say

A good, healthy breakfast is a key component of that effort. But it’s not always possible – or preferable – for students to get their meal in the school cafeteria. And that’s where a mobile “breakfast cart” can make a difference, the nonprofit says:

“Since 2017, [our] grab and go breakfast cart program has combatted food insecurity within schools through an alternative meal delivery model that drives greater student engagement by addressing the challenges hindering participation. These include lack of time, convenience, and the stigma associated with school breakfast in the cafeteria. Currently, there are over 500 GENYOUth-funded meal carts in American public schools, which have helped to increase average daily participation by as much as 27% and to expand access to 50 million school meal opportunities.”

“In our schools, we have experienced first-hand, the positive impact that a healthy breakfast plays in the overall ability of our students to learn and achieve academic success,” Newark School Superintendent Roger León said.

“Grab and go breakfast carts help ensure that a nutritious start to the day is available for all students,” León said.

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