What does Education Funding have to do with Hunger?

Though one could go on for pages about the importance of a good education in eliminating cycles of hunger and poverty, this year’s state budget debate contains a pressing connection.

Gov. Corbett’s proposed elimination of the Accountability Block Grants (approximately $252 Million sent to school districts last year – mostly used for early education programs) has resulted in the School District of Philadelphia (and approximately 31% of all districts statewide) proposing to move from full day to half day Kindergarten.

This move will have far reaching impacts on families who cannot afford the extra child care costs or loss of work hours – increasing their struggle to remain food secure. What’s more… neither morning or afternoon students in Philadelphia will be given a free school lunch! Only morning students will be given breakfast. Currently, all Kindergarten students in Philadelphia have access to 2 free school meals a day. Now, incoming students will receive either 1 or no meals.

With 1 out of every 3 children in Philadelphia facing food insecurity – restoration of the Accountability Block Grant(ABG) is critical. House Republicans have proposed restoring about half of the ABG cuts. However, in order to do so - they propose cutting program like child care subsidies!

Please call House GOP leadership and tell them their restoration is not enough and that education funds should not come at the expense of programs that benefit children, especially those who need food.

Speaker of the House, Sam Smith: (717) 787-3845

Majority Leader Mike Turzai: (717) 772-9943

Please contact your State Senator and Senate leadership (Sen. Dominic Pileggi, Majority Leader: (717) 787-4712 or dpileggi@pasen.gov) and let them know you expect the Senate budget to reflect full funding for the ABG and other programs that support those who are food insecure.

For Saturday's article on child care subsidies see: Cuts expected to curb child care subsidies.

for an earlier article on the School District of Philadelphia's move from full to half day Kindergarten see: Half Day K a disaster

More followup on the Prayer Breakfast

This week's Mt.Airy Times Express (May 6)has the Prayer Breakfast as its lead story! There's a large picture of Joel Berg with Mayor Nutter on the front and then another picture and detailed coverage on pp. 2 and 3 by Arlene Edmonds. You can pick up copies of the newspaper at many places in the Northwest, including at LTSP. Its good to see that the word continues to be spread about the unacceptable levels of hunger in our city, especially as we are going into the primary election on May 17.

As you go to candidates' debates, meet and greets, or just shaking their hands, be sure to ask them what their positions are on addressing hunger in our city. We can set the agenda!

Presbytery of Philadelphia Hunger Action Enabler blog

This is the link to my weekly submission on hunger, which is included in the weekly e-newsletter of the Presbytery of Philadelphia.

http://www.presbyphl.org/articles.asp?columnid=6394

Hunger Free Communities - some resources

With the success of the Prayer Breakfast Leading to Hunger Free Communities, we are developing resources including this blog. Some will be posted here, and some are available online through the Prayer Breakfast web page. On the web page you will find reproducible versions of the Hunger Free Communities and Prayer Breakfast Leading to Hunger Free Communities graphics, and the Hunger Free Communities placemat that you can download and use for your efforts. If you use them, please let us know - email media@Ltsp.edu. Thanks!

The Hunger Free Communities Prayer Breakfast

The Hunger Free Prayer Breakfast brought together 150 faith leaders in Philadelphia to learn, pray and act on making communities hunger free. This site will collect stories and bring together those who want to work together to make all communities hunger free.

Learn about the breakfast at Ltsp.edu/prayerbreakfast.

Here is a photo gallery from the breakfast:


(click an image to view the photo gallery and download)