My name is [contact:first_name] [contact:last_name] and I’m writing to ask you to co-sponsor H. Res. 1156/S. Res. 709 in support of the George McGovern-Robert Dole International Food for Education and Child Program. This resolution affirms Congress’s commitment to building and expanding upon the program's 20 years of success in providing food and education to hungry children around the world.
The United States has a legacy of leading the global fight against hunger through international school feeding initiatives like the McGovern-Dole program. Through this program, the U.N. World Food Programme implements many of its school meals programs overseas, using U.S. crops and leveraging financial and technical assistance from the U.S. government. Since its inception, the program has provided over 5.5 billion school meals benefitting over 31 million school-age children and their communities. Today, the program is more critical than ever. Evidence shows that school meals have tremendous positive outcomes such as:
- improving kids’ access to education
- strengthening students' ability to learn
- increasing school enrollment
- reducing the number of school dropouts (especially among girls)
- improving the overall health of children
- breaking the cycle of hunger and poverty
However, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, millions of students have lost school meals. In 2020, children missed an estimated 39 billion vital in-school meals which derailed the futures of countless kids. The McGovern-Dole Program is critical to communities around the world as they fight to keep their schools open and feed their students.
Over the past two decades, the McGovern-Dole program has improved the food security, nutrition, literacy, and primary education of 31 million school-age children and their families. It funds numerous programs that are administered by a broad array of non-profit and non-governmental organizations, including the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). That’s why it’s crucial for the United States continue to support this life-changing program.
H. Res 1156/ S. Res 709 honors the program’s 20th anniversary and expresses Congress’ commitment to making a difference in the lives of millions of children around the world. That’s why I’m asking you—my Member of Congress—to co-sponsor and support this important resolution.
