State Rep. John Galloway announced that Snyder-Girotti Elementary School has been awarded grant money to provide students with fresh fruits and vegetables during the school day.
“Students need fresh, healthy foods to perform well at school and to grow into healthy adults,” Galloway said. “I’m pleased that the Department of Education is providing this grant money during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. The program’s goals are to create healthier school environments by providing healthier food choices, expand the variety of fruits and vegetables students experience, increase fruit and vegetable consumption and positively impact students’ present and future health. FFVP was first implemented in Pennsylvania in 2004 and expanded to all 50 states in 2008.
Funding priority is given to the schools with the highest rates of students eligible for free and reduced-price meals. Grantees are required to spend a majority of their grant on the purchase of fresh fruit and vegetables and must develop a plan to establish partnerships to reduce other costs. Schools are also required to provide nutrition education to students but cannot use FFVP funding to purchase nutrition education materials.
