With proposed cuts to school nutrition making local, state, and national headlines, the state of child nutrition in schools and communities across North Carolina — especially in western North Carolina — is top of mind for many North Carolinians.
“We recognize the gravity of the situation ahead of us, the urgency of solving child hunger,” said Gov. Josh Stein, “but we also have hope because we know we can solve this problem if we work together.”
This week, nutrition professionals, principals, and teachers; leaders from food banks and faith-based organizations; and elected officials, advocates, and community leaders gathered for the 14th Annual NC Child Hunger Leaders Conference.
Stein issued a call to action, urging advocates to reach out to elected leaders in Congress and at the legislature. He thanked members of the N.C. General Assembly for previous investments in student nutrition.
“We need to continue to do this work,” echoed Madhu Vulimiri, Stein’s senior advisor for health and families policy, “using all of the levers that we have at our disposal to maximize the impact of evidence-based programs — like SNAP and WIC and CACFP and SUN Bucks and school meals and Medicaid — that we know work, and make sure that more people who are eligible for them can access them.”
Vulimiri said there are 800 schools across North Carolina, currently providing free meals to over 400,000 children. Proposed federal policy changes, she said, put those meals at risk.
Lou Anne Crumpler, the director of Carolina Hunger Initiative, said “We all have to keep moving forward.”
“One way we can move forward,” she said, “is to tell stories. We tell the stories of the critical impact these federally assisted child nutrition programs have on students and families, and we tell the stories of the people who serve and operate them.”
The state of school nutrition in North Carolina
Rachel Findley is the new senior director of school nutrition at the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. She provided an update on the state of school nutrition in North Carolina in 2025.
By the numbers
This school year, Findlay said more than 73 million school lunches and more than 41 million breakfasts will be served in North Carolina.
“These numbers are not just statistics,” said Findley. “They represent our children, our neighbors, our friends, and our future leaders. They represent moments of hope where a simple meal can make a difference in all the world.”
Last summer, about 175 sponsors provided summer meals, said Findlay.
“When school is out,” she said, “the programs in these communities served more than four million meals.” That’s the first time that number has been surpassed since the pandemic, she said.
The challenges
Findley talked about the current challenges facing school nutrition, including supply disruptions, labor shortages, and cost increases, but she also addressed specific challenges, including:
- The difficulty of both paying school nutrition workers the minimum legislated wage of $15 and maintaining the financial integrity of school nutrition without additional funding.
- The need for the additional seat time for students. “Nutrition is not nutrition unless it’s consumed,” she said.
- Reducing the administrative burden on school nutrition program directors so they have the time needed to manage and lead.
Above and beyond in western North Carolina
“One of the most heartbreaking challenges we have faced in the state is the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which has left profound scars in the western part of our state, both on the lands and the people,” said Finley.
“Yet in the face of such adversity, we saw the courage and determination of our school nutrition personnel,” she said.
Twenty-four counties, Findley said, utilized the Summer Food Service Program’s unanticipated school closure waivers granted by the USDA.
“They went above and beyond, sometimes leaving their vehicles behind to deliver meals on foot where roads were impassable,” said Findley. “They understood the urgency, but necessity, of providing meals to children who were counting on them. These brave individuals became lifelines, ensuring that no child was left behind.”
The 2025 NC Child Hunger Leaders Conference
Hosted by Carolina Hunger Initiative, the annual NC Child Hunger Leaders Conference is an opportunity for “leaders to connect with other child hunger leaders from across the state, learn about new strategies and success stories, and leave reenergized to continue the fight against child hunger,” according to the organization.
The goal of the conference is to make sure kids have access to healthy food in schools and beyond, and this year, the focus was on being “rooted in community.”
Resources for advocates include:
“Let us embrace the power of our communities who come together to serve each other when it matters most,” Findley said. “We all play a role in this journey — whether you’re a parent, a teacher, a farmer, a community leader — your involvement matters.”
Here is the state’s summer nutrition profile:
