New York State PTA and Hunger Solutions New York are proud partners working to alleviate hunger, especially among school-age children, by maximizing federal nutrition assistance programs, including:
With the support of the New York Health Foundation, we have launched a new project to start the next chapter in our partnership, following our shared victory of establishing the statewide Universal Free School Meals (UFSM) Program. Expanding SNAP Outreach at School aims to strengthen food access for New York students by increasing SNAP participation among eligible households, while also supporting schools with the new SNAP outreach requirement under the USFM Program. Through coordinated outreach and education, this project will:
SNAP is our nation’s largest and most effective anti-hunger program, providing benefits to more than 3 million New Yorkers to buy food at grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and other retailers. However, many potentially eligible New Yorkers are not yet participating.
As trusted messengers to families, schools can help ensure more eligible children are connected to SNAP, a win-win-win for all:
Benefits for students: Research shows that SNAP participation supports child health, academic achievement, and higher high school graduation rates.
Benefits for families: SNAP streamlines participating families’ access to additional benefits, including test fee waivers, discounts on Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and Summer EBT– a vital nutrition resource when school is out in the summer months.
Benefits for schools: Increased SNAP participation helps schools qualify for programs such as summer meals, afterschool meals, and the Community Eligibility Provision.
Resources and support are available! To make this work a lighter lift for schools and PTAs, Hunger Solutions New York provides free, ready-to-use resources and one-on-one support to help school districts launch or expand SNAP outreach efforts. Alongside this work, our team can also help schools expand the reach of the other federal nutrition assistance programs.
As PTA members who already highlight needs and bring solutions to your schools, you can help us elevate SNAP as a priority in the following ways:
Encourage local school districts to conduct SNAP outreach. PTAs can share about the benefits of SNAP outreach, highlight the new SNAP outreach requirement as a key component of New York’s universal school meal program, and connect school leaders with resources.
Share information about SNAP directly with families. Many PTAs have strong communication channels established within the school community. Leverage our resources to share information about SNAP with families through your existing PTA networks.
PTAs and schools do not need to be experts in SNAP eligibility and enrollment. Use Hunger Solutions New York’s SNAP Outreach Toolkit to help families learn about SNAP and how to apply. Materials direct families to a SNAP prescreening tool to determine if they might be eligible and connect them with free application assistance.
PTA members can also help expand the reach of other federal nutrition assistance programs beyond SNAP to further strengthen food security for students.
Expand the reach of school meals. Encourage your school to expand meal access by providing Breakfast After the Bell. Learn more in this school breakfast spotlight featuring North Colonie Central School District.
Ensure year-round access to healthy food. Eligible schools can serve free, healthy meals for kids over the summer break and in afterschool programs. PTAs can help spread the word to families about summer meal programs and Summer EBT using these outreach resources. If your school offers afterschool programs, encourage them to explore afterschool meals.
Connect families with WIC. WIC provides healthy food, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and other helpful services to pregnant and postpartum people and children under age five. Visit the WIC Outreach Resource Center for flyers, social media posts, and newsletter content to help promote WIC.
Advocate to protect and strengthen anti-hunger programs. PTAs are a powerful voice in support of SNAP, school meals, and other critical programs that help students learn and grow. Sign up for advocacy alerts to stay up-to-date on opportunities to advocate at the state and federal levels.