After-School Meal Grant Awarded To Fairfax County Schools

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Fairfax County Public Schools received a $5,000 grant from No Kid Hungry Virginia to support afterschool meals as part of the nonprofit group's latest round of grants. The Danville Public Schools and Staunton City School District also each received $5,000 grants from No Kid Hungry Virginia in the latest round.

In Fairfax County, the grant from No Kid Hungry Virginia will be used to update the school system's afterschool meals equipment and other needs. In its application, the school system stated a need for adequate refrigeration and storage, both of which are necessary for successful afterschool meals programs.

"These school systems are using new and innovative ways to ensure that every child is connected to healthy meals after school," Claire Mansfield, No Kid Hungry Virginia state director, said in a statement. "Afterschool meals are an important tool to ensure students are getting the nutrition they need after the school day has ended."

The Fairfax County Public Schools system has received No Kid Hungry grants multiple times — for afterschool, summer meals and breakfast programs — due to its "strong commitment to school food access and dedication to improving menu options and meal quality," No Kid Hungry Virginia said in an email to Patch.

More than 14 percent of children in Virginia live in "food insecure" homes, which refers to households that do not have enough food for every family member to lead a healthy life, according to No Kid Hungry. Without afterschool meals, school lunch is the last healthy meal of the day for many children, the group said.

Schools systems can apply for both breakfast and afterschool meal grants from No Kid Hungry during each round of grant-giving by the group. The campaign also works to encourage school systems to participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Child and Adult Care Food Program's At-Risk Afterschool Meals, which provides partial reimbursement to schools that offer students free snacks and suppers.