I want the kids in our community to thrive. As a board member at Citizens Project, proud auntie, and a once free and reduced lunch recipient, I know a meal can make a world of difference.
Being raised by a single mom who worked as a hairstylist in Colorado Springs, I saw firsthand how a slight bump in income could lead to a drastic drop in assistance. This, often referred to as the “benefits cliff,” left me and countless of my peers worrying, “Is today the day I shrug off my hunger and go without?”
No child in Colorado Springs should have to worry about the cost of lunch, or skip a meal because their family can’t afford it. But two out of five families in Colorado struggle to put food on the table — and, for many children like me and my sister growing up in D11 and D49, breakfast or lunch at school is the most nutritious meal they’ll eat all day.
Because of the successful Healthy School Meals for All Program, Colorado schools provide more than 600,000 free, nutritious meals to students across our state every day. Students from all walks of life, backgrounds, and income brackets come together to enjoy breakfast and lunch, without shame attached.
All of our kids deserve access to healthy food. They deserve to learn, grow, and prepare for the future without the same hunger pangs felt by previous generations.
As someone who once benefited from free school meals and now has the opportunity to give back to the community that raised me, I urge you to vote yes on LL and MM so every child in Colorado can focus on what really matters.
