01.14.10

Durbin Announces More than $900,000 in Grant Funding to Improve Illinois Public School Lunches

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service division has awarded a $902,953 grant to help Illinois schools participating in the National School Lunch Program replace outdated equipment with new, energy-efficient appliances.

 

In Illinois, over 4,300 schools participate in the National School Lunch Program, feeding over 1.1 million children every day. USDA will give funding priority for these grants to schools where 50% or more of the students are eligible for free or reduced price meals.

 

This funding is part of $25 million awarded nationwide by the USDA today. The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) works to provide children of all economic backgrounds with well-balanced, healthy meals designed to meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. More than 101,000 schools and child care institutions nationwide participate in the NSLP, which in some cases provides the main daily meal for needy children.