The HCS Child Nutrition Program
Newsletter - SEPTEMBER 2019
Director's Message:
Did you Know?
FRAC: School Lunches Lifted 1.3 Million out of Poverty
The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) recently published a statement analyzing the U.S. Census Bureau’s report on income, poverty and health insurance data. This report found that in the United States, the official poverty rate went down from 2017 to 2018, from 12.3 percent to 11.8 percent. FRAC also noted several public programs that currently work to help lift Americans out of poverty; specifically, “school lunches lifted 1.3 million out of poverty.” FRAC's statement explains that more than 38 million people in the United States lived in poverty in 2018, according to today’s annual release of income, poverty, and health insurance data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The data reveal a decline in the official poverty rate, from 12.3 percent in 2017 to 11.8 percent in 2018. The poverty rate for children in 2018 was 16.2 percent. The high child poverty rate, in particular, underscores the failure of the nation to reduce unnecessary suffering and invest in its human capital and its future.
The Census Bureau report also showed declining rates of health insurance coverage. Even as more jobs and modestly increasing wages reduce the number of poor people, growing uninsured health costs compete with rent and food for scarce dollars, harming families struggling with incomes modestly above the poverty line.
Another key indicator of poverty is the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), which extends the official poverty measure in a number of respects, including taking into account income from some of the federal programs designed to assist low-income families and individuals, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the first line of defense against hunger in this country.
The SPM rate was 13.1 percent in 2018, statistically the same as the 2017 rate of 13 percent. The SPM data show that in 2018, SNAP lifted 3.1 million people out of poverty, school lunches lifted 1.3 million out of poverty, and WIC lifted 275,000 people out of poverty. These numbers likely understate the positive impacts of the programs: researchers have found that some respondents are reluctant to tell surveyors that they are receiving SNAP or other program benefits. Adjusting the data to reflect the estimated actual receipt of SNAP, in particular, substantially increases its anti-poverty effects.
Federal and state governments need to be doing more to reduce poverty and hunger, not taking steps to erode effective programs. However, the Trump administration’s recent proposals to cut people off food assistance could do just that, resulting in millions of people losing their SNAP benefits.
CNP Service Anniversaries
Ruth Brown – 22 years
Sammie Johnson – 21 years
Donna Larkins-Muhammad – 7 years
Dernia McComb – 16 years
Wonda Miles – 16 years
Eddie Osborne – 18 years
Pam Majors – 18 years
Mirtha Petty – 2 years
Belinda Phillips – 14 years
Sheila Shockley – 2 years
Lamanda Thompson – 17 years
Lunch Tray
Ronald McNair Junior High School
Lunch Line
HCS Students getting lunch at Lee High School
It's GrandParents Day!
Monte Sano Elementary
September Birthdays!
Nekarla – 9/1
Wynona – 9/4
Latoya – 9/17
Ingrid – 9/28
Employee Spotlight - Mrs. Pam Majors
Pam Majors has been with the Child Nutrition Program (CNP) at Huntsville City Schools for over 18 years. She is originally from Huntsville and was married for 39 years. Pam has four children named Chris, Crystal, Catie, and Cody. Pam also has 11 grandchildren and they are Morgan, Caleb, Abby, Hope, MaKayla, Nick, Cheyanne, Kaylee, Payton, Clover, and Paisley. She has lived in Huntsville her entire life. Pam loves to ensure that school children are being fed and they also know that they are loved. When Pam is not working she likes to watch her grandkids play sports, engage in arts and crafts, plant flowers, and spend time with her family and friends. She enjoys different types of music especially oldies. Her words to live by are loyalty, faith, and love. Pam explains that the best part of her job is that she gets an opportunity to feed children. If she were not working in CNP then she would spend her time traveling and being with her family. Pam’s hobbies include creating silk flower arrangements, making wreaths, and collecting lighthouses. If Pam could be any fictional character, then she would want to become Wonder Woman. Pam’s favorite sport is football where she roots for the Alabama Crimson Tide. She does not like doing laundry and if she could meet anyone living or dead it would be Paula Deen. Pam says that the three traits that define her are hardworking, generous, and friendly. In five years, she plans to be retired. She defines success as never giving up and always trying your best.
Location: Monte Sano Elementary School, Monte Sano Boulevard Southeast, Huntsville, AL, USA
It's National School Lunch Week! - NSLW
The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) serves more than 30 million children every school day. President John F. Kennedy created National School Lunch Week (NSLW) in 1962 to promote the importance of healthy school lunch in a child’s life and the impact it has inside and outside of the classroom.
During this annual weeklong celebration, SNA members and students around the country celebrate in their cafeterias, schools, and districts.
The 2019 NSLW theme is “SchoolLunch: What’s on Your Playlist”.
Monday, Oct 14, 2019, 10:30 AM
Huntsville City School District, AL, USA
CNP Supervisor of the Month
Location: 2901 Hilltop Terrace NW, Huntsville, AL 35810
Contact Us!
Annie C. Merts Building
200 White Street
Huntsville, AL. 35801
3rd Floor
256 428-6955