Nutritional Development Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (NDS) is sponsoring the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program for the 2017-2018 academic year. This year, NDS has partnered with 102 schools in the Philadelphia region to ensure that more than 30,000 students have access to breakfast and lunch during the school day. Of the 102 schools, 89 will offer meals at no cost to approximately 26,000 students through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Nine of the partnered schools will offer this no cost meal service option for the first time.
Brooke Mullen, Assistant Director of Community Relations for NDS said, “NDS staff is grateful for the continued efforts around CEP and we are thrilled to offer the option to more and more schools each year. With breakfast and lunch offered at no cost to all students, we continue to see a rise in participation and, subsequently, more children nourished throughout the school day. We know that students who consume nutritious meals regularly do better academically and developmentally, so CEP continues to be a great benefit to our students and families. As students in Philadelphia and the surrounding four counties return to school this fall, they join millions of students across the nation in receiving meals at no cost during the school day.”
Included in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, CEP is a federal program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The program allows schools and local educational agencies nationwide to provide breakfast and lunch at no cost to all students. In addition, CEP eliminates administrative paperwork for schools, streamlines meal service operations, and increases student participation by reaching more children in need of nourishing meals.
NDS school meals are funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
# # #
Editor’s Note: For more information on Nutritional Development Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please visit www.nutritionaldevelopmentservices.org.
Archdiocese of Philadelphia
ArchPhilly
ArchPhilly
Contact:
Alaina Longo
Media and Events Specialist
215-587-3747 (office)