Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman A. Donald McEachin (VA-04) announced a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE)  for $982,827 to build and retain a knowledgeable workforce to ensure school lunches are nutritious and meet students’ needs.

 “Many children in our district and throughout the Commonwealth rely on school lunches for a healthy, nutritious meal,” said Rep. McEachin (VA-04). “As families struggle with escalating food prices, it is even more important that school lunches meet children’s needs. No student should ever go hungry, especially while trying to receive an education. This grant from USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service will help ensure Virginian school food authorities, especially in more rural areas, have the necessary training and knowledge to plan nutritious lunches and support students in the Commonwealth.”

 This grant will allow VDOE to assess the barriers for meeting transitional school meal pattern requirements and for offering freshly prepared, local, and culturally inclusive school meals. The funding will support VDOE in the creation and implementation of a comprehensive training program estimated to reach 155 school nutrition directors and 2,100 frontline cafeteria managers. Sub-grant incentives will be awarded to school food authorities to provide a monetary incentive of $175 for each cafeteria manager who completes the training program within a 6-month period.

 For more information, visit the USDA’s website.