Lisa Pitz, Director, Hunger Free New Jersey: Expanding School Meal Access to New Jersey Families

The Big Idea:

●      Lisa Pitz, Director of Hunger Free New Jersey, helped push for important changes that have made 60,000 additional New Jersey students eligible for free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch at school and continues to work for free meals for all students.

●      Investing in school meals has consistently shown to improve student outcomes. Pitz is committed to ensuring that no student ever goes hungry, feels stigmatized, or faces any barrier to learning while in school.

Background:

●      Basing free school meal programs on federal income standards does not accurately reflect the needs of New Jersey families. New Jersey is the fifth most expensive state to live in and ranks second highest for childcare costs.

●      Hunger Free New Jersey was a leading advocate for New Jersey’s Working-Class Families Anti-Hunger Act, which raised the upper limit on household income that triggers help with meals at school to 224% of the federal poverty line, from the previous 200% for New Jersey students.

●      The new limit boosts the number of students eligible for free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch at school to about 510,000, from 450,000 in the 2023-24 school year.

Fun Fact:

Research shows that students who receive free school meals have better overall health, improved concentration, and even higher academic performance. A nutritious lunch not only fuels their bodies but also boosts their ability to focus and learn in the classroom!

Their Take:

Lisa Pitz

“A student should never go hungry, feel stigmatized or have any other barrier to learning while at school. Investing in school meals has been proven to lead to better outcomes for students today and we look forward to creating a future where food security is the standard for all of New Jersey’s children.”

-  Lisa Pitz, Director of Hunger Free New Jersey