Every week at All Saints Church we put our faith into action. This week we have two actions focused on ensuring that children will receive adequate food and good nutrition.

The first action is to tell the United States Congress to pass the American Families Plan.

The first 1,000 days of a child’s life, from pregnancy to their second birthday, is when good nutrition is most impactful. It sets the stage for a healthy future. Congress must prioritize investments that meet the needs of pregnant women and young children. This includes expanding paid family leave and waiving recertification requirements for vital nutrition programs such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Investing our resources in human infrastructure, particularly maternal and child nutrition programs, is foundational to ensuring a healthy future for our children and their children (Proverbs 13:22).

The second action is to tell the California State Legislature to fight childhood hunger.

During the pandemic, the federal government has allowed kids to eat school meals for free. But those benefits are set to expire. Hungry kids cannot learn. Research has proven time and time again that healthy meals help students be prepared and stay focused while they learn. Student behavior and performance has been shown to have significant improvement with sufficient meal programs.

Right now, California lawmakers are considering crucial policies in the state budget to improve access to healthy food at school. One policy would fund Universal Free Meals for every student. Another policy would train school foodservice professionals so they

are equipped to cook delicious, plant-focused meals for our students. No child should have to learn on an empty stomach, let alone face each day with food insecurity. Fortunately, the state government can prevent that from happening in California.

Click on the links above to sign both the actions to the U.S. Congress and the California Legislature.