Project Bread

Project Bread loves working hand in hand with school nutrition staff to help bring nutritious and delicious meals to students! When we invest in school meal staff, students succeed, both in school and beyond.

Explore how your support today feeds kids at projectbread.org/feeding-kids

It's all connected. When families lose SNAP, they lose free school meals, unless a separate application is completed. That extra step can mean fewer families enroll, which can reduce federal funding for schools to feed kids.

Nearly 64,000 MA children have already lost SNAP since the One Big Beautiful Bill took effect. That’s nearly 64,000 children who may no longer be automatically enrolled in free school meals. This is the domino effect.

In 2023, Massachusetts made free school meals for every student permanent. A change Project Bread helped make possible through years of advocacy with the Feed Kids Coalition and partnership. Today, School Meals for All provides meals to more than half a million kids every day.

Massachusetts students will continue to receive free school meals thanks to our state's commitment, but in time SNAP cuts will make the program more expensive for the state.

As millions of kids lose SNAP food benefits, free school meals are also at risk Food stamps have a direct link to other critical resources, such as free breakfast and lunch at school. Now, experts say they're starting to see that link break.

🎒 🍽️ The busiest restaurants in town are back in action! Kids are back in classrooms, and school cafeterias are once again serving upwards of 565,000 kids every day, powered by the dedicated school meal professionals who show up each morning, committed to feeding kids.

“School meals are an important part of the school day, and we want the cafeteria to be a place where students feel welcomed and cared for,” said Melanie Wilk, Director of Food Service at Chicopee FRESH.

Behind every meal are school nutrition staff who plan, prepare, and serve food. Despite often working with limited resources, they strive to make school meals nourishing and delicious.

At Project Bread, we believe that helping those who make the meals is one of the best ways to support kids and help them thrive. Our back-to-school trainings focus on practical skills, realistic challenges, and useful tools staff can use right away in their kitchens.

Across Massachusetts, school meal teams are sharpening their skills and sharing innovative approaches:

In Chicopee, exploring batch cooking and timing the firing of dishes to ensure maximum freshness, flavor, and appeal.

In Berkshire County, focusing on preparing local beef and turning it into four tried-and-true recipes in partnership with Berkshire Agricultural Ventures through Massachusetts Farm to School.

In LPSD - Food & Nutrition, taking a “speed dating” approach to create opportunities for a large staff to quickly experience different ideas, techniques, and recipes they can take back to their kitchens, such as Beef Gyudon Rice Bowl and vegetable crudité with Cilantro Sauce.

In Andover, exploring how new recipes—like Spicy Chicken Flatbread and Soy Ginger Chicken Tacos—can find a place on the menu, working from the “greatest hits” students are known to love.

Investing in school meal staff directly benefits students. When these staff take pride in their work and focus on serving quality meals, kids are better set up for the day, both in and out of the classroom.

Explore how your support today feeds kids at projectbread.org/feeding-kids

Chicopee schools train cafeteria staff to prepare restaurant-style meals Chicopee Comprehensive High School’s cafeteria staff is preparing for the school year with training focused on scratch-cooking and restaurant-style meals.

🗳️ Tomorrow, September 1, is Massachusetts’ primary election!

Hunger is a policy choice. Right now, 40% of households in Massachusetts are struggling to put food on the table. Your vote helps shape the policies that impact our communities—including access to affordable, nutritious food.

Cast your ballot and vote against hunger. Find everything you need to vote at our Voter Resource Center: projectbread.org/policy-work/elections

😎 That’s a wrap on Summer Eats! “A lot of families had [SNAP] taken away, so they come here, and they're able to get breakfast, lunch, and sometimes snacks, depending on where the site is," said Ricardo Gonzalez, Standby Cafeteria Manager at Boston Public Schools.

Thanks to your generosity, Summer Eats provided families with more than just meals—there were games, a petting zoo, fun ways to stay cool, and the reassurance that kids were well-nourished and prepared for school. This year, $250,000 was awarded to over 50 sponsors to support Summer Eats programs. Over $112,000 in promotional materials were provided free of charge to over 85 sponsors statewide.

With your support, kids enjoyed millions of meals this summer through Summer Eats and are heading back to school nourished and ready to learn. Join us in continuing this essential work—let’s keep feeding kids all year long!

Donate: https://give.projectbread.org/campaign/755892/donate

🗳️ Today is the last day to vote early in Massachusetts’ primary election!

The decisions made at the ballot box shape the policies that affect our communities, including whether people can access and afford the food they need. Make your voice heard on the issues that matter to you.

Early voting ends today, August 28, and the primary election is Tuesday, September 1.

Cast your ballot. Vote against hunger. Stay informed with our Voter Resource Center: projectbread.org/policy-work/elections

☀️ Thank you for making Summer Eats happen! “It’s nice to go out somewhere, be out in fresh air, activities with kids, and obviously, some food,” said Svetlana B., a parent who brought her kids to the Salem Summer Eats kickoff.

Because of your generosity, Summer Eats gave families more than meals—offering games, a petting zoo, ways to cool off, and peace of mind that kids were nourished and ready for school.

Take a look inside Summer Eats sites across Massachusetts: https://projectbread.org/news/food-fun-community-massachusetts-summer-eats-sites