VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – No Kid Hungry Virginia recently announced a $201,600 grant to go towards 10 Virginia school districts, including Virginia Beach and Williamsburg, to help expand school breakfast access throughout 2025.
According to a release, around 25,000 additional students across the Commonwealth participated in school breakfast programs in 2024, making it the largest year-over-year increase in the past decade. Over 380,000 students were said to have eaten breakfast at schools between September of 2023 and February of 2024.
The funds will go towards implementing flexible Breakfast After the Bell initiatives, which includes grab-and-go meals, breakfast in the classrooms and second-chance breakfast models.
A list of cities who received grants can be found below:
- Salem City Public Schools
- Halifax County Public Schools
- Alexandria City Public Schools
- Chesterfield County Public Schools
- Spotsylvania County Public Schools
- Fairfax County Public Schools
- Virginia Beach City Public Schools
- Williamsburg-James City Public Schools
- Roanoke City Public Schools
- Montgomery County Public Schools
“Schoolbreakfast helps students reach their full potential,” said Sarah Steely, Director of No Kid Hungry Virginia. “The latest grants will support districts in connecting more kids with schoolbreakfast. We are committed to helping school nutrition teams across the state in their efforts to make breakfast accessible to every child, no matter what. Together, we’re working to ensure every child has the nutrition they need to thrive.”
According to Feeding America, one in seven children in the Commonwealth are facing hunger, but only 42% of students are eligible for free meals at schools. Eating breakfast in the mornings has been known to improve a students’ ability to focus, perform academically and attend classes regularly.
No Kid Hungry has found that when schools adopt Breakfast After the Bell programs, they experience an average six-point drop in chronic absenteeism.
For more information on the grant, click here.
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