At National Food Group, we believe that no student should have to worry about whether they will be able to eat at school. Unfortunately, unpaid school meal debt continues to rise across the country, and with recent policy changes, schools are facing even greater challenges in ensuring every child has access to nutritious meals.
That is why we continue to champion the Grab the Tab initiative through our Project SERVE program, helping schools reduce meal debt so students can focus on what matters most, learning, growing, and thriving.
This year, applications for Grab the Tab came in from 43 states across the country, reflecting the widespread impact of school meal debt. Despite the efforts of dedicated food service directors, cafeterias are struggling with rising food costs, ongoing staff shortages, supply chain and packaging issues, and the difficulty of collecting free and reduced meal applications.
The result is that more schools and student are carrying the heavy burden of unpaid meal balances, making it harder to keep serving the nutritious meals that fuel learning.
Through Grab the Tab, we were honored to award over $116,000 in funding and in-kind food donations to three schools making a big impact in their communities:
The nationwide school meal landscape is becoming even more strained. Shifts in federal nutrition funding and support programs are expected to reduce resources available to schools for covering unpaid meal balances. They will limit automatic eligibility for free and reduced-price meals, creating more hurdles for families and school staff.
As we reflect on this year’s impact, we invite you to watch our video and hear directly from the schools we have partnered with. Their stories remind us why it is so important to come together, share our resources, and ensure that no child or school district carries the burden of school lunch debt alone
Grab The Tab is a program of Project SERVE, National Food Group’s corporate social responsibility initiative.