Title
Recognizing National School Lunch Week, celebrated in schools October 12–16, 2026, and honoring the role of school meals and school food service employees in addressing food insecurity and supporting the health, learning, and well-being of Philadelphia’s students.
Body
WHEREAS, President Harry S. Truman signed the National School Lunch Act into law on June 4, 1946, establishing a federal commitment to safeguarding children’s health and well-being through school meals, a commitment that marks its eightieth anniversary this year; and
WHEREAS, Congress established National School Lunch Week in 1962, and President John F. Kennedy issued its inaugural proclamation to encourage public recognition and support of school lunch programs; and
WHEREAS, National School Lunch Week will be celebrated in schools October 12–16, 2026, providing an opportunity to recognize school meals as an essential source of nourishment and an investment in children’s readiness to learn; and
WHEREAS, Food insecurity occurs when households lack consistent access to sufficient food, and school lunches help close gaps in access by providing children with a dependable meal while easing household food expenses; and
WHEREAS, The School District of Philadelphia’s 2023–24 Philly School Experience Survey, analyzed in a report published in December 2025, found that 24 percent of responding households experienced food insecurity, that 19 percent of responding students reported going hungry at least sometimes during the previous 30 days because there was not enough food at home, and that 36 percent of responding principals identified food insecurity as a moderate or great challenge to student learning; and
WHEREAS, The School District of Philadelphia offers lunch at no charge to students, helping ensure that household income does not determine whether a child can eat during the school day; and
WHEREAS, Good nutrition supports physical growth and brain development and helps students maintain th...
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