‘It’s too expensive to eat lunch and feed my children’: The rise of the school food bank
2 years, 2 months ago

‘It’s too expensive to eat lunch and feed my children’: The rise of the school food bank

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The food bank helps me get by.” Behind her stands Maryam, 38, also a working single mother on universal credit whose daughter similarly does not qualify for free school meals. This is a good mother who urgently needs help.” Shawn and Maryam are two of around 50 parents who rely on the weekly school food bank which is supplied by City Harvest, London’s second biggest food surplus distributor, and supplemented with long-life produce by the Wimbledon Dons Local Action Group. open image in gallery Parents queue for food outside St Mary’s RC Primary School in Battersea, south London Steve Winningham, CEO of City Harvest, says: "School food banks are on the rise. One school food bank supplied by The Felix Project is at Mandeville Primary in Hackney, where 62 per cent of the pupils are eligible for free school meals with the remaining 38 per cent classed as working poor.

Food London Children Parents School Bank Cent Free Meals Lunch Shawn Universal Credit Mandeville Free School Meals City Harvest Our Food Bank  food  rise  cent  parents  children  eat  free  expensive  lunch  school  bank  banks  week  feed  meals

History of this topic

Canada: Are parents skipping meals to feed their kids amid the cost-of-living crisis?
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Canada: Are parents skipping meals to feed their kids amid the cost-of-living crisis?

Firstpost  

Canada’s cost-of-living crisis is forcing one in four parents to cut back on their own meals to ensure their children are fed, according to a Salvation Army report. With 58 per cent of families facing food insecurity, food bank visits have surged to over two million in March 2024 alone A bag of potatoes rests on metal crates of donated …

Can you guess the dish? Furious parents blast school dinners they 'wouldn't feed their dog' with 'fossilised' sausage rolls, dry burgers and burnt paninis...have YOUR children been served worse?
3 months ago

Can you guess the dish? Furious parents blast school dinners they 'wouldn't feed their dog' with 'fossilised' sausage rolls, dry burgers and burnt paninis...have YOUR children been served worse?

Daily Mail  

Furious parents have branded their children's school meal 'shocking and disgusting' and claimed they are paying '£30 a week for them to be fed next to nothing'. Other parents claimed they would serve better food to their dogs The school has apologised and cited supplier issues One more said: 'Looks very poor, it's not hard to make nice food. Roast …

School lunch fees are taking a toll on parents, U.S. consumer watchdog finds
3 months, 2 weeks ago

School lunch fees are taking a toll on parents, U.S. consumer watchdog finds

LA Times  

Single mother Rebecca Wood, 45, was already dealing with high medical bills in 2020 when she noticed she was being charged a $2.49 “program fee” each time she loaded money onto her daughter’s school lunch account. So I’d pay for six lunches, but only get five.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the federal policy on fee-free school lunch, …

The $100M school lunch scam: how parents are cheated EVERY time they pay for their kids' meals
3 months, 4 weeks ago

The $100M school lunch scam: how parents are cheated EVERY time they pay for their kids' meals

Daily Mail  

Many parents barely notice the processing fees when they use the pre-paid system to cover their children's school lunches. More schools are turning to cashless systems that parents use to pre-pay for their kid's lunches Rohit Chopra, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, says the systems often push 'excessive fees' on hard-up families As more schools turn to cashless …

US consumer watchdog finds that school lunch fees are taking a toll on parents
3 months, 4 weeks ago

US consumer watchdog finds that school lunch fees are taking a toll on parents

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Single mother Rebecca Wood, 45, was already dealing with high medical bills in 2020 when she noticed she was being charged a $2.49 “program fee” each time she loaded money onto her daughter’s school lunch account. So I’d pay for six lunches, but only get five.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the federal policy on …

Labour promises school breakfast clubs will save parents £400 a year
6 months, 4 weeks ago

Labour promises school breakfast clubs will save parents £400 a year

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Labour has said its commitment to delivering free breakfast clubs …

Schools providing ‘fourth emergency service’ feeding families in need – study
1 year, 1 month ago

Schools providing ‘fourth emergency service’ feeding families in need – study

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The spread of charitable food …

One in four teachers hands out food to children due to welfare concerns – survey
1 year, 4 months ago

One in four teachers hands out food to children due to welfare concerns – survey

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. FareShare, a charity which tackles hunger and food waste, is calling on the Government …

Hungry children stealing food as tens of thousands living in extreme poverty
1 year, 4 months ago

Hungry children stealing food as tens of thousands living in extreme poverty

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. One boy was unable to attend a job interview because he could not afford …

Families forced to cut back on school lunches as cost of living drives up food insecurity
1 year, 5 months ago

Families forced to cut back on school lunches as cost of living drives up food insecurity

ABC  

With 10 children, six of them at school, Bendigo mother Tereza Kiss is keeping a close eye on the cost of school lunches. Key points: Organisations are reporting more parents sending their children to school without lunch A regional Victorian mother-of-10 says she has had to cut back on school lunches Foodbank Australia is calling for more funding for school …

One in seven people in UK going hungry because they can’t afford to eat
1 year, 6 months ago

One in seven people in UK going hungry because they can’t afford to eat

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} One in seven …

Jewish pupils eating just a bagel for lunch amid kosher crisis, Parliament told
1 year, 7 months ago

Jewish pupils eating just a bagel for lunch amid kosher crisis, Parliament told

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Some Jewish children are surviving on just a bagel for …

‘It’s hard to focus': Schools say American kids are hungry
1 year, 9 months ago

‘It’s hard to focus': Schools say American kids are hungry

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — America’s schools say kids are hungry — just as pandemic-era benefit programs have lapsed. School cafeterias typically don’t turn away a hungry kid, but debts for unpaid school meals have been rising — showing the level of need, and raising questions about how schools will keep feeding everyone, without federal money to do it. The neediest kids are …

‘It’s hard to focus’: Schools say American kids are hungry
1 year, 9 months ago

‘It’s hard to focus’: Schools say American kids are hungry

LA Times  

Students select their meal during lunch break in the cafeteria at V. H. Lassen Academy of Science and Nutrition in Phoenix on Jan. 31. School cafeterias typically don’t turn away a hungry kid, but debts for unpaid school meals have been rising — showing the level of need, and raising questions about how schools will keep feeding everyone, without federal …

School meals ‘should be free for all pupils just like desks and chairs’
1 year, 10 months ago

School meals ‘should be free for all pupils just like desks and chairs’

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy All children …

Food Poverty Haunts UK: How 4 million children are going hungry
1 year, 10 months ago

Food Poverty Haunts UK: How 4 million children are going hungry

Firstpost  

A report by The Food Foundation think tank has revealed that nearly four million children in the UK experienced food poverty in January this year. This comes as the demand for expanding free school meals to pupils is rising in the country amid a cost-of-living crisis Nearly 4 million children in the United Kingdom experience food poverty, new data has …

Free school meals for all primary school pupils in London, Sadiq Khan to announce
1 year, 10 months ago

Free school meals for all primary school pupils in London, Sadiq Khan to announce

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The mayor of …

UK cost-of-living woes stir push for more free school meals
2 years, 1 month ago

UK cost-of-living woes stir push for more free school meals

Associated Press  

BIRMINGHAM, England — As the school bell rings, dozens of children begin filing into the canteen at Hillstone Primary School. During the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Food Foundation and soccer star Marcus Rashford persuaded Britain’s government to provide free meals to children in poverty over the school holidays. The Department of Education said the government understands …

No coats, no food – schoolchildren have time-travelled to Victorian Britain
2 years, 1 month ago

No coats, no food – schoolchildren have time-travelled to Victorian Britain

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Some 52 per cent of heads …

Children unable to afford lunch in more than half of state schools, survey says
2 years, 1 month ago

Children unable to afford lunch in more than half of state schools, survey says

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It’s a scandal that in …

‘Generosity and dedication’: Low-earning school staff buying food for hungry pupils
2 years, 1 month ago

‘Generosity and dedication’: Low-earning school staff buying food for hungry pupils

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Its findings come as The Independent’s …

Two-thirds of MPs would back free school meals extension, poll finds
2 years, 1 month ago

Two-thirds of MPs would back free school meals extension, poll finds

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rishi Sunak has come under increasing pressure to extend free school …

Free school meals criteria ‘always under review’, minister says
2 years, 1 month ago

Free school meals criteria ‘always under review’, minister says

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The criteria …

Henry Dimbleby: We have children breaking down and crying because of hunger
2 years, 2 months ago

Henry Dimbleby: We have children breaking down and crying because of hunger

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It’s hard to perform academically or …

Families on free school meals face ‘patchwork’ support over October half-term
2 years, 2 months ago

Families on free school meals face ‘patchwork’ support over October half-term

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Struggling families …

Experts warn of major impact on children’s health without proper nutrition at school
2 years, 2 months ago

Experts warn of major impact on children’s health without proper nutrition at school

The Independent  

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Number of children arriving at school hungry on the rise, teachers warn
2 years, 2 months ago

Number of children arriving at school hungry on the rise, teachers warn

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The number of children arriving at school hungry has risen …

Health chief calls for free school meals for all to end ‘disturbing’ food poverty
2 years, 2 months ago

Health chief calls for free school meals for all to end ‘disturbing’ food poverty

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The government must offer all children free school meals to address …

I’ve cooked lunch for hungry school kids – their stories are heartbreaking
2 years, 2 months ago

I’ve cooked lunch for hungry school kids – their stories are heartbreaking

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Ahead of the autumn spending review, …

It shouldn’t be left to chefs like me to feed hungry children
2 years, 2 months ago

It shouldn’t be left to chefs like me to feed hungry children

The Independent  

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Children face a hunger crisis – the government needs to act by providing more free school meals
2 years, 2 months ago

Children face a hunger crisis – the government needs to act by providing more free school meals

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The government should immediately prioritise the introduction of free school meals for the 800,000 …

The Independent is calling for free school meals for all children in poverty
2 years, 2 months ago

The Independent is calling for free school meals for all children in poverty

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. So it is with great pride …

Jamie Oliver says ‘children coming to school with empty lunchboxes’ in call free meals plea
2 years, 2 months ago

Jamie Oliver says ‘children coming to school with empty lunchboxes’ in call free meals plea

The Independent  

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Next stress for many parents: First school lunch bills since 2020
2 years, 3 months ago

Next stress for many parents: First school lunch bills since 2020

CNN  

CNN — Though East Hampton is a solidly middle-class town in Connecticut, dozens of families are applying for free school meals for the first time as they contend with high food costs and tight budgets. They are also trying to make sure that those who do qualify for free or reduced-price meals submit applications, which parents haven’t had to do …

Dinner lady forced to deny children school food because ‘there’s no money’
2 years, 4 months ago

Dinner lady forced to deny children school food because ‘there’s no money’

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

Proposal for student cards to cover free meals fails in California Legislature
2 years, 4 months ago

Proposal for student cards to cover free meals fails in California Legislature

LA Times  

A bill that would have granted eligible California school children an EBT card to cover meals in the summer quietly failed in the state Legislature last week. A bill that would have granted electronic benefit transfer cards to low-income schoolchildren to cover meals when class is not in session quietly failed last week in the state Legislature. Food banks across …

Families ‘face grim choices’ as summer holidays mean weeks without free school meals
2 years, 5 months ago

Families ‘face grim choices’ as summer holidays mean weeks without free school meals

The Independent  

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Minister recognises schools are ‘not immune’ from rising food costs
2 years, 6 months ago

Minister recognises schools are ‘not immune’ from rising food costs

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mr Quince said the Government …

Mother’s anger as daughter’s school starts charging £2 for free breakfast club
2 years, 6 months ago

Mother’s anger as daughter’s school starts charging £2 for free breakfast club

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy An outraged mother has threatened to change her child’s school …

Sadiq Khan backs universal free school meals for primary school pupils
2 years, 6 months ago

Sadiq Khan backs universal free school meals for primary school pupils

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Sadiq Khan has …

‘Four chips on a plate’: Boost school meal funding, ministers told, as children ‘getting smaller portions’
2 years, 6 months ago

‘Four chips on a plate’: Boost school meal funding, ministers told, as children ‘getting smaller portions’

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. I’m looking at cheaper alternatives.” A headteacher from North Yorkshire, Matt Davies, said that schools …

Cost of food ‘major future concern for three quarters of UK consumers’
2 years, 7 months ago

Cost of food ‘major future concern for three quarters of UK consumers’

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The cost of food is …

Father’s post with photos of his son’s ‘ridiculous’ school meals goes viral
2 years, 11 months ago

Father’s post with photos of his son’s ‘ridiculous’ school meals goes viral

The Independent  

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Free school meals for all children can improve kids’ health
3 years, 5 months ago

Free school meals for all children can improve kids’ health

Salon  

Recognizing that millions of U.S. children are at risk of hunger, Maine and California have approved funding to offer free school meals to all students within their state. The Universal School Meals Program Act would provide free healthy meals and snacks to all children in public and nonprofit private schools regardless of income. When children return to schools in the …

Free school meals: Gavin Williamson ‘absolutely disgusted’ by poor standard of food parcels
3 years, 11 months ago

Free school meals: Gavin Williamson ‘absolutely disgusted’ by poor standard of food parcels

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Education secretary Gavin Williamson has said he was “absolutely disgusted” by …

Hungry children didn’t drive this country into the ground – they deserve so much better than the meagre food parcels offered by our government
3 years, 11 months ago

Hungry children didn’t drive this country into the ground – they deserve so much better than the meagre food parcels offered by our government

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Midday assistants on furlough or poverty …

‘My kids have gone hungry’: The parents struggling through the pandemic with free school meals parcels
3 years, 11 months ago

‘My kids have gone hungry’: The parents struggling through the pandemic with free school meals parcels

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The 41-year-old, from Kidsgrove in Staffordshire, was one of dozens who shared photos of …

Help The Hungry: Middle-class graduates join food bank queues as crisis deepens
4 years ago

Help The Hungry: Middle-class graduates join food bank queues as crisis deepens

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “We launched our food bank in …

Almost two million children short on food over course of pandemic, study suggests
4 years ago

Almost two million children short on food over course of pandemic, study suggests

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Almost two million children have been short on food in …

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