“Despite producing nearly half of the nation's fruits and vegetables, one in five Californians struggles with hunger and lack access to nutritious foods - an alarming 20 percent of our population. All people, regardless of income or immigration status, should have equitable access to the resources they need to live healthy, productive lives.”
In 2021, NextGen was an original cosponsor and part of the School Meals for All network that helped secure funding to cover the complete cost of offering free breakfast and lunch for all K-12 students, which made California the first state in the nation to do so. Building on that success, NextGen continued to play a key role in advocating for ongoing funding and helped secure unprecedented investments in the future of our state’s school food system, totaling more than $2 billion in related programming.
A total of more than $2 billion was allocated in the California Budget to support our state’s school food system.
For school kitchen equipment and upgrades to kitchen infrastructure.
To implement School Meals for All, providing free breakfast and lunch to all K-12 students.
To supply California-grown, minimally processed, sustainably grown foods for school meals.
To expand the California Farm to School grant program.
To launch The California Healthy School Meals Pathway Program, a new, first-of-its-kind program to develop a school food labor force.
The Local Equitable Access to Food (LEAF) program was signed by the Governor, improving access to healthy foods for all California families, regardless of income, by increasing EBT access at local farmers’ markets, as well as increasing the number of farmers’ markets throughout California.
In 2022 NextGen was instrumental in building on the success of School Meals for All, we continued to play a key role in advocating for ongoing funding and helped secure unprecedented investments in the future of our state’s school food system, totaling more than $2 billion in related programming.
NextGen has partnered with Alchemist CDC, a mission-driven organization that connects Sacramento area communities to land, food, and opportunity toward a vision in which all neighborhoods are vibrant, equitable, healthy, and diverse. We are encouraged by the work they do and pleased to be partners with them in the food insecurity space.
Improves access to healthy foods for all California families, regardless of income, as well as increases the number of farmers’ markets throughout California.
Establishes the Better Out of School Time (BOOST) Nutrition EBT Program to prevent child hunger during regularly scheduled school breaks or emergency school closures.
Stay connected with us & let’s work together to fight the injustices that plague our state.