Advocates call on Hochul to fund free school meals

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An ongoing issue of children facing hunger in New York lead lawmakers, students and advocates to call on Governor Hochul. Those looking to make a change in this situation are asking Hochul to fund free school meals for all New York students in the 2024 State budget. 

Lawmakers, Students, and Advocates will gather on Monday, January 9 at 11 a.m. in front of the NYS Capitol building. This past June, federal waivers that provided free school meals expired leaving more than 726,000 students to lose access to meals in school and come up with the money themselves. The Healthy School Meals for All coalition is a group of more than 250 education and anti-hunger advocates calling for New York to fill the gap by funding free meals for all students in the 2024 State Budget.

The event will include remarks by

• Senator Michelle Hinchey
• Senator Liz Krueger
• Assemblymember Jessica Gonzáles-Rojas
• Assemblymember Sarah Clark
• Andres Vives, Executive Director, Hunger Solutions New York
• Liz Accles, Executive Director, Community Food Advocates
• Andrew Pallotta, President, New York State United Teachers
• Kyle Belokopitsky, Executive Director, New York State PTA
• Patrick Kenneally, School Lunch Director, Capital Region BOCES Shared Foodservice Management and New York School Nutrition Association
• David Helmer, Lansing Central School District Student