Hunger is a reality for many students.  According to the US Department of Agriculture, 7.2 million children in the United States lived in food insecure homes in 2023 and 18 million households were food insecure at some point during 2023.  In our own state, one in six children experience food insecurity and for nearly 1.7 million Pennsylvanians, food insecurity is a daily part of life.  
 
In addition to addressing hunger, we are also faced with a multitude of food waste.  In a study conducted after the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act went into effect, researchers found many students were taking the required healthier options and just throwing them into the trash.
 
In each public school in Pennsylvania, there are students who throw away their lunches, and others who wish they had enough to eat.  We have a lot of kids across the state where the best meal they get each day is from school.
 
The “Shared Table” initiative helps alleviate this problem.  This initiative assists educators in providing food to kids who need it the most.  It allows for the redistribution of unused food, by allowing students to put unwanted food in a specified location.  It involves having a place that kids can discretely get food at school or take food home at the end of the day.
 
Before I was in the legislator, I was a teacher for 19 years in both Erie’s public and Catholic schools and I can tell you firsthand from my experience that some students do go hungry. If we have food that’s just being thrown out, it just makes sense that we would give it to kids who are hungry.  Therefore, I am introducing this resolution to bring attention to the Shared Table program and the need to end childhood hunger.

As legislators, we need to acknowledge the fact that hunger is a significant problem throughout Pennsylvania.  No child should have to go without enough food to eat.  We know they learn and retain more when their stomachs are full.
 
Please join me in co-sponsoring this resolution.