[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 201 (Thursday, October 17, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 83601-83602]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24139]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 201 / Thursday, October 17, 2024 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 83601]]
Proclamation 10837 of October 11, 2024
National School Lunch Week, 2024
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
America's children deserve every opportunity to live
fulfilling and healthy lives, and nutritious meals are
key components in building those lives. During National
School Lunch Week, we reaffirm that the health and
well-being of our Nation's children are a national
priority. We recommit to doing everything we can to end
child hunger. And we celebrate school nutrition
professionals, who do the critical work of planning,
preparing, and serving nutritious school meals to more
than 30 million students each day.
Healthy school lunches benefit our Nation's students
and their families. Fueled by a good lunch, students
can better focus in the classroom and be set up for
success throughout the rest of their day. Free and
reduced-price school meals provide families with some
breathing room. And for families that live in areas
where there are no grocery stores with healthy food
options nearby, school meals can be a lifeline--
offering children reliable, nutritious meals.
My Administration is committed to putting a healthy
school lunch within reach of all our Nation's children,
no matter their family's income. That is why we are
giving more schools the option to make free school
meals available to every student, and we published a
final rule updating nutrition standards for school
meals to improve children's health. For the first time
since 1975, we modernized the Thrifty Food Plan, making
a healthy diet more affordable for the millions of
families with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
benefits. These actions are a part of our national
strategy to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases
by 2030. That plan includes the goal of expanding
access to healthy, free school meals to nine million
more kids--working toward a future where every kid has
access to one. We also hosted the first White House
Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in over 50
years. Since then, we have galvanized over $10 billion
in external commitments dedicated to ending hunger and
reducing diet-related diseases in children and families
across the country. Furthermore, we are giving schools
the resources they need to purchase food from local
farmers and ranchers and cook meals from scratch--
giving kids healthier options and powering our rural
economy.
My Administration is taking steps to ensure our
Nation's children and families do not go hungry and can
afford healthy food. This year my Administration
launched SUN Bucks--also referred to as Summer
Electronic Benefits Transfer--to provide families with
money to buy groceries when school is out, reaching an
estimated 21 million children. My American Rescue Plan
expanded the Child Tax Credit, slashing child poverty
by nearly 50 percent and helping keep food on the table
for millions of families during the pandemic. I
continue to call on the Congress to restore the
enhanced Child Tax Credit to ensure families have the
money they need to feed and care for their kids.
During National School Lunch Week, we recognize how
important school lunches are to kids and families alike
and recommit to expanding access to healthy, free
school meals to support the health of the next
generation.
[[Page 83602]]
And we thank all the school staff, school nutrition
professionals, educators, and school leaders, whose
tireless work nourishes the future leaders of our
Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 13
through October 19, 2024, as National School Lunch
Week. I call upon all Americans to recognize and
commemorate all those who operate the National School
Lunch Program with activities that raise awareness of
the steadfast efforts in support of the health and
well-being of our Nation's children.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
ninth.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2024-24139
Filed 10-16-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P