Please Support the the Healthy Future Students & Earth Act
As we speak, Congress is working to upgrade the school meal program for the first time in a decade. We have a chance to get plant based foods prioritized nationally for school lunches thanks to new Federal legislation introduced by Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Rep. Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D (D-NY). The Healthy Future Students & Earth Act (HR 4108) would create a voluntary grant program for school districts to help school procure plant protein and milk products, provide training and assistance for school staff, and offer nutrition education for students, among other benefits.
This bill will help fight climate change, tackle hunger, improve student health, and advance equity. Schools with a high percentage of students whose families qualify for free or reduced-cost meals due to economic disadvantage would be prioritized for grant funding.
30 million kids are served school lunch daily with students of color disproportionately relying on school meals for nutrition. But unless they hear from you, they won’t prioritize funding for plant-based school food.
Please Take Action Today and Learn more details of this bill here!
What Can I Do?
Please take a minute to reach out to your representatives and voice your support for this bill!
1) Send an e-mail to your Federal Representatives and Senators
- You can fill out the form on this page, or click ‘Start Writing’ if you’re already signed into Action Network to easily send e-mails to your elected officials, or…
- You can look up your Representative and Senators here and send them e-mails or hand-written letters
2) Call your Representative and Senators
- Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives
- Senators: https://www.senate.gov/general/resources/pdf/senators_phone_list.pdf
Example Phone Script or Letter:
Dear [Elected Official’s Name]
As your constituent, I’m asking you to please support the Healthy Future Students & Earth Act (HR 4108).
This bill would provide healthier, climate friendly, and culturally appropriate plant-based meal options to students.
This bill is a win/win/win. It would directly benefit young people who are increasingly seeking out plant-forward, climate-friendlier foods by providing a wider range of school meal options from which to choose. Because animal-based foods have been linked to a higher risk for some health problems, such as diabetes and certain cancers, this legislation could provide long-term health benefits as well. It would also benefit animals and the environment, because the majority of animal products that end up in school lunch programs are produced on inhumane and environmentally destructive factory farms.
Providing healthy, plant-based options will help ensure no student goes hungry and mitigate racial health disparities. Whether for health, environmental, religious or cultural reasons, students are asking for more plant-based options in their school meals, and school districts should be able to provide these options for all students.
Thank you for your consideration of this incredibly important bill.
[Your Name]