Hungryforaction
Happy Friend Friday,
Rallying for Change: Advocating Healthy School Meals for All
Together, we're tackling a significant but often unseen problem: child hunger. This isn't merely a case of supporting a handful of kids; it's about caring for all of our children, regardless of their socioeconomic status. We are on a mission to ensure every young Utahn has access to nourishing meals and is ready for optimal learning.
Friends of Salt Lake: Friendstorm Recap
Friends of Salt Lake is more than just a gathering place; we are a dynamic hub of ideas, a meeting ground for thought-leaders, and an incubator where actionable solutions are born. Our Friendstorm session are simple settings to focus this drive, melding insight, connect dots and action to move the next step forward.
"Policy entrepreneurs play the role of change agents—they transform their understanding of what is possible into a new policy reality for us all." - John W. Kingdon, Political Scientist
Our recent Friendstorm on food insecurity highlighted the urgent need for systemic action. Our friend and dedicated champion against student lunch debt, Lindsey Nikola, amplified this call for change helping clear $6,000 in school debt herself.
The Power of a Meal: A Leverage Point for Greater Impact
Access to school meals could be a critical tool to reduce food insecurity, bolster academic achievement, and most importantly, nourish our young learners. The cost of implementing this initiative would represent a small fraction of Utah's education budget. However, the potential return is enormous: healthier, happier, and more focused students ready to maximize their education.
Food insecurity impacts 1 in 5 Utah children
The Healthy School Meals for All program could help
Continues “Good” parts of pandemic
$83 million a year, fraction of Utah's $5 billion+ education budget
Utah's kids have $10.5 million in unpaid meal debt
It would eliminate 15,813 hours spent on paperwork monthly
Rep. Clancy has initiated a school meals bill, indicating change may be coming
Utahns Against Hunger is rallying support for this solution.
Remembering the Good Ol' Days: A Personal Note
On a personal note, I fondly recall my junior high days when nothing could beat the simple joy of savouring a cheesy school pizza. Lindsey reminded us of that perspective and much more, and it was inspiring to see someone put their passion and values to work. Whatever Lindsey and our hungry kids need – I’m there. I hope you will be too.
And there's more! Gina Cornia of Utahns Against Hunger is organizing a stakeholder meeting.
Catalytic Ideas: Save the Date August 22nd
We're thrilled to announce our “Catalyst Conclave.” Think of it as 'Shark Tank' for local issues – a platform where you can pitch a solution or collaboration. You'll have five minutes to present your innovative ideas for community improvement.
But we have more in store! We're merging this event with our Fast Friends Forum on August 22nd, transforming it into a power-packed 90-minute session starting at noon. This event will comprise a keynote address, time for pitches, and resources to support the best ideas. We'll share more specific details about these events soon, so stay tuned!
Engage, Empower, Inspire: Let's Build a Friendship Council!
Many of you have asked, "How can I help Friends of Salt Lake?" The answer is straightforward: show up, push an idea, foster collaborations, and be enthusiastic about our future. To further democratize decision-making, we're forming a Friendship Council. If you'd like to contribute to this, just let us know!
Looking Ahead: Let's Make Waves
We're ready to make waves and unleash a tsunami of change. Join us as we fight child hunger, spark innovative ideas, and strengthen our community. So, please forward this to one friend, follow on Instagram, or LinkedIn and let's continue this crucial conversation.
Make sure you take an opportunity to cheer on a friend this week.
Your friend,
Michael Parker
Facilitator, Friends of Salt Lake
P.S. Last week, the Dearfield Fund from Colorado was honored by Ivory Innovations for its contributions to our cause. I think we need to bring them to SLC!
Friends of Salt Lake
32 W 200 S
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
United States of America
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