Can a Universal Lunch Program Combat the Stigma Associated With Free Lunch?
I missed recess because I wouldn’t eat my corn dog.
I was one of the “free lunch kids.” I went through the lunch line with my tray like the other kids and got food. Except when I got to the end of the line I notified them that I was “free lunch.” I don’t remember how I told them — but somehow everyone knew.
Even the lady responsible for wiping the tables.
It was corn dogs that day. I’d never had one before and I’ve never had one since. We’re talking about a processed hot dog on a stick, coated with a cornmeal batter, and then deep-fried. It was gross. So I didn’t eat it.
I started getting up from the table with my friends to dump our trays and go to recess. Except I wasn’t just like all the other kids. At least that’s how the table-wiper lady made me feel.
She promptly stopped with her rag and said to me, “That was free. You can’t throw that away! Now sit back down and finish your lunch. You can’t go outside until you do.”
I don’t remember what she said. I just remember how she made me feel. Unworthy. Less than. Not like all the other kids. Damaged. Afraid.
I sat there at the long table by myself and tried not to cry while she moved on. I didn’t eat the dang thing. I was finally told to leave the cafeteria so they could fold up the tables and mop the floor.
Now before we go any further, this is not a post about wasting food. I support that kids should not be throwing out food or refusing to eat something just because they don’t like it. “Food is fuel,” I tell my kids now. “It’s okay if you don’t like it, your body needs it.” That’s not what this is about.
This is about getting singled out and treated differently because I got something for free.
I’m 41 years old and I still remember how it felt to be a “free lunch kid.” It’s not something I think about very often but this year it came to the surface.
My Perspective on Free Lunch Programs Changed This Year.
This year, my son started a new school and because of the USDA universal free lunch program, all the kids “qualify” for getting free lunch. Anyone who wants or needs it can access free lunch and breakfast during the school day.
At first, I responded, “Wait a second. That’s a huge waste of money. All the kids don’t need free lunch. What about all the families who need that support? We shouldn’t take advantage of that. Save it for the ones who need it.”
But then my son came home from his new school. And do you know what he was most excited about? His hot lunch. It was such an exciting thing for him to choose what he wanted to eat at school. At his old school, we always packed his lunch.
And this realization came over me. All the kids got it. The kids who need it most won’t get singled out. Others won’t judge them for something that’s not their fault.
Neither of my parents earned a bachelor’s degree. A first-generation U.S. citizen, my grandfather died when my dad was a teenager. My dad when on to work hard in the construction industry. But he didn’t complete high school and college was not a realistic option for him.
Fast forward to my childhood — I was one of eight kids in my blended family. For some years, there just wasn’t enough money to support our needs. It was not uncommon for one of our utilities to be shut off. Sometimes this meant my mom would boil water to wash my hair in the kitchen sink. Sometimes it meant, we’d use the fireplace to heat the house.
I remember going to the grocery store with my mom and watching her add up the cost of food in our cart and measuring it against what we had left in food stamps. Even sharing a small picture about our financial hardship, a temptation to fear what others think of me creeps up and I have to overcome it.
Now as an adult, it’s safe to say I have a pretty strong aversion to getting anything for free. So maybe it’s taken me longer than most to see the benefits of a Universal Lunch Program and the positive impact it could have on the families who need it most.
Parents Who Need the Support of Free Lunch Have Easier Access To It.
Some factors have historically made it difficult for parents to access free lunches for their kids at school. Some of these factors include parents just over the income qualifications, low literacy, and bureaucracy.
The federal dollars coming from the USDA are making it possible for states to bypass any obstacles to kids getting free lunch but this program is only extended until June of 2022.
After that, will it be up to the states to either fully fund a free lunch program or go back to the way things were?
I haven’t found the answer to this question yet. But the pandemic revealed that the free lunch program was ripe for change.
States and Cities Are Designing Free Lunch Programs to Continue After Federal Dollars Run Out.
California is leading the way by providing free lunches and breakfast to all kids. In addition, cities like New York, Boston, and Chicago are doing the same.
“School officials, lawmakers, anti-hunger organizations, and parents are applauding it as a pioneering way to prevent the stigma of accepting free lunches and feed more hungry children.” — The Federal News Network
The scheduled funding from the Biden Administration expires in 2022. After that, California plans to spend $650 million annually on funding free lunches for all students.
Is This a Long-Term Solution to the Stigma That Comes With Getting Free Lunch?
As we’ve seen with many issues in our society, the pandemic has shed a light on a problem that already existed: providing easy access to nutritious food for children whose caregivers might struggle to afford it. And providing it in a way that values the children who need it.
Is a free-food-for-all-students model sustainable, long term?
Where would the money come from?
Whose responsibility is it to feed children?
Are there other ways to honor the privacy and dignity of students who receive free lunch without offering it to families who can “afford” it?
For decades, students have had access to free transportation to school, books for learning, technology, and public education. Shouldn’t they have access to meals during the school day in the same way? These are all important questions to consider. And there’s wisdom in looking at things from all angles.
But right now, I’d love to hear from others who have needed free and reduced lunches as a child, before the pandemic.
Did You Get Free Lunch as a Kid?
Did you ever feel singled out or looked at differently?
Were you ever embarrassed to go through the lunch line with your friends?
Did it bother you or were you indifferent?
Do you know anyone who received free lunch as a kid?
While an ongoing Universal Lunch Progam may not be the answer, we won’t be able to address the stigma associated with receiving free lunch at school until we’re willing to talk openly about it.
P.S. As soon as I finished writing this, look what popped up in my inbox! Corn dogs. *rolls eyes*