This school year, all schools in Haywood, Jackson and Macon counties will offer free breakfast and lunch to their students through the Community Eligibility Program (CEP).
This measure, key in a predominantly rural region in the west of the state, seeks to alleviate the high levels of poverty affecting local families, where up to 15% of the population lives below the poverty line, according to data from the 2022 Census.
This initiative ensures that all children, especially those from vulnerable and immigrant communities, have access to nutritious food during the school year.
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Food safety for your children
In the above mentioned counties of the mountainous rural area In the west of the state, the immigrant community is mainly of Latino origin and is growing.
In Macon, 5.1% of the population is Latino, while in Haywood it is 4.52%, and Jackson shows similar numbers.
Many of these immigrants work in sectors such as farming, construction and service, and face economic challenges that make programs like CEP vital to ensuring food security for their children.
Free breakfasts and lunches in Haywood
In Haywood County, where 10% of students are Hispanic, the free meals program benefits 6,500 students, according to a report by Enlace Latino NC county schools nutrition director Alison Francis.
Francis also highlighted that 35% of students participate in breakfast and 75% in lunch.
This program, in addition to combating food insecurity, alleviates the economic burden on families.
In this regard, Francis highlighted that parents and teachers have expressed their satisfaction with the program, highlighting that the free meals allow families to redirect their financial resources toward other essential expenses.
And while specific data on the impact on performance hasn't been collected, he added that universal access to healthy meals "not only combats food insecurity, but also promotes a more equitable educational environment."
Free Meals in Jackson County
In Jackson County, the school district has taken significant steps to ensure that all students receive breakfast and lunch. free lunches this year.
Although five schools in the county already qualified for CEP, another five did not meet the requirements to receive benefits from this federal program, leaving many students without access to free meals.
To address this disparity, school district leaders went to the County Board of Commissioners, requesting a $500,000 allocation in the new budget.
This additional funding was approved, allowing all county schools to offer free meals to their students.
Superintendent Dana Ayers emphasized the importance of this measure in a press release, noting that “feeding all of our students at no cost is essential to their academic success.”
Ayers also stressed that this initiative not only improves academic performance, but also alleviates the financial burden on families.
Free Meals in Macon
Macon County, located in western North Carolina and with a population of approximately 37 people, has also ensured that all of its schools will offer free lunches this school year thanks to $200,000 in funding approved by the County Commission.
This measure includes Highlands School and Franklin High School, the only ones that previously did not qualify for the CEP, which ensures that all students have access to nutritious meals.
The impact on the community
The implementation of CEP in Haywood, Jackson, and Macon counties is particularly significant for local Latino communities.
In a context where the cost of living continues to rise and poverty affects a significant percentage of the population (13.6% in Haywood, 17.5% in Jackson, and 15.4% in Macon, according to the 2022 Census), access to free school meals becomes an essential element for the well-being of students.
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Nutritional health, positive implications
The program also has positive implications for students’ nutritional health.
Meals served in schools meet USDA guidelines for healthy school foods.
“The school cafeteria offers a wide variety of healthy entree options and fresh fruits and vegetables daily,” said Alison Francis.
Additionally, according to statistics from the North Carolina Division of Public Health, more than 96% of schools in the state have increased the availability of fresh fruits and 86% have increased the availability of vegetables.
What is the CEP and who does it benefit?
The CEP, known in Spanish as the Community Eligibility Provision, is a program established under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 in the United States.
This program was created to combat food insecurity in areas with high levels of poverty.
The initiative allows all eligible schools to offer free breakfasts and lunches to all students, without requiring families to submit individual applications to receive this benefit.
To learn more about the CEP Program visit their website in Spanish
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