[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 47 (Tuesday, March 25, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1726-S1727]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     FIGHT AGAINST CHILDHOOD HUNGER

 Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, on this day I hope Marylanders 
across our State can ``Hear the Maryland Crunch!'' of students eating a 
healthy school breakfast. Thanks to the leadership of Maryland Hunger 
Solutions, the ``Hear the Maryland Crunch!'' campaign offers all 
Marylanders the opportunity to become more aware of the daily struggle 
of our food insecure children and stand together in support of school 
breakfast. I wish to continue to highlight this critical issue facing 
our children.
  Maryland has the highest median income in the nation. Yet even in 
Maryland one in five children is food insecure. These children lack 
consistent access to adequate food resources. Yet I am happy to 
announce we are making strides to ensure our children are fed and ready 
to learn. Approximately 262,000 students in Maryland participate in the 
100 percent federally funded National School Lunch Program and receive 
either free or reduced price lunches. These students know that when 
they come to school, they are able to receive a nutritious school 
lunch.
  Only 149,000 children or 59 percent of students receiving a school 
lunch start

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their day ready to learn with a school breakfast. At this time, 
Maryland ranks 14th in the nation in school breakfast participation 
rate after making tremendous progress over the past 5 years to ensure 
all children have access to nutritious meals. Over the course of 5 
years Maryland's school breakfast program participation rate has 
increased by 37 percent, and our school lunch participation rate has 
more than doubled with a 56 percent increase.
  I am encouraged by these developments and efforts to continue to 
expand school breakfast access for all children. Marylanders are united 
in the vision that the ability of children to learn and succeed in our 
classrooms should not be impaired because they come to school hungry. 
Thanks to the partnership between Governor Martin O'Malley, the 
Maryland General Assembly, national organizations such as the Share Our 
Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign, the Family League of Baltimore, and 
Maryland Hunger Solutions, our State has continued to make efforts to 
expand access to school breakfast with the Maryland Meals for 
Achievement Program.
  Maryland Meals for Achievement allows schools where 40 percent of 
students or more qualify for free or reduced price school lunch to 
provide school breakfast meals for all students at no cost to the 
child. This program combines the expansion of the school breakfast 
program with innovative efforts to encourage increased participation, 
including a change in the traditional breakfast delivery model of 
serving school breakfast meals in the cafeteria to an in-classroom 
setting. Schools have shown a positive increase in school breakfast 
participation rates from the new ``Grab and Go'' breakfasts or 
``Breakfast After the Bell'' programs, allowing more students to be 
better prepared to succeed in the classroom. I commend Governor 
O'Malley for requesting additional funding this fiscal year for the 
Maryland Meals for Achievement Program that will allow an additional 
40,000 students to receive a healthy breakfast.
  According to a study sponsored by the Share Our Strength's No Kid 
Hungry campaign, research has shown students who receive a school 
breakfast are better prepared to learn and perform in their classwork, 
are less likely to be overweight, have more strength and endurance 
throughout the day, are less likely to cause classroom disruptions, and 
are less likely to be absent from school than if they were not 
receiving a school breakfast.
  In closing, I am honored to join with Maryland Hunger Solutions and 
Marylanders across our State who are committed to do better for our 
children. On this Maryland day, we reflect on our rich past and look 
forward to a bright future in which the only hunger our schoolchildren 
have is a hunger to learn. I am proud that Maryland is leading the 
fight against childhood hunger. Together, let's all ``Hear the Maryland 
Crunch!''

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