Using data from meal claims submitted to the NC Department of Public Instruction, the Carolina Hunger Initiative creates local profile sheets providing an overview of child nutrition programs and showing how many children received meals through them in North Carolina.
There are two sets of profiles, one for school meals (breakfast and lunch) by school district and one for summer meals by county.
The profiles provide a snapshot of the economic benefits and nutrition access challenges and are a great way to introduce yourself or others to these important taxpayer-funded programs in your area. Use the profiles with a school administrator, elected official, or community member to start a conversation about what is going well and what needs to be done to provide sustainable nutrition access for children in your district or county. The profiles can help reveal gaps in efforts to fight hunger and provide context for how efforts compare to the rest of the state.
For questions about the profiles, contact our Dr. Jessica Soldavini, PhD, MPH, RD, LDN.