Genesee News

FLINT—Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-08) on August 15, 2023 announced new federal grants to help school districts in Genesee and Saginaw counties continue to provide healthy meals to more mid-Michigan students.

The federal grants, totaling $175,656, were awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help small school districts train staff and modernize their kitchen and food preparation spaces to ensure all students have access to nutritious school meals. The following mid-Michigan school districts will receive funding:

1. $150,000 for the Bendle Public School District in Burton
2. $25,656 for the Swan Valley School District in Saginaw

“Ensuring students have access to healthy food is key to a child’s success in the classroom,” said Congressman Kildee. “That’s why I am proud to have secured this funding to help ensure all mid-Michigan students have access to the healthy food they need to grow and learn. In Congress, I will continue to fight to bring federal resources home to our students and their families.”

“Bendle Public School District thanks Congressman Kildee for his support in securing this grant funding through the USDA’s Healthy Meals Incentives program. With this funding, Bendle Public School District will be able to upgrade its kitchen equipment, train staff on made-from-scratch cooking, offer K-12 cooking classes, and begin to grow its own vegetables,” said Tom Meszaros, Superintendent for Bendle Public School District. “On behalf of Bendle Public School District’s entire faculty and staff, I want to, again, express our gratitude to the Congressman for this funding, which will help us better support the health and well-being of our students and their families.”

“Thanks to Congressman Kildee’s support in securing the recent grant awarded to Swan Valley School District through the Healthy Meals Incentives program, we’re pleased to offer students even more scratch-made recipes in the cafeteria and expand our nutrition education programs teaching kids how they can incorporate more scratch-made foods in their diet,” said Mat McRae, Superintendent for Swan Valley School District. “Nutrition plays a vital role in students’ academic performance, overall health, and well-being, and we’re excited to provide students with access to more foods and opportunities to understand the connection between what they eat now and the eating habits they’ll have for the rest of their lives.”

Congressman Kildee has long championed efforts to support mid-Michigan students. Last month, Kildee introduced bipartisan legislation to increase access to healthy, local foods for children and families on nutrition assistance. Additionally, last month, Kildee announced over $30 million in new federal funding for early childhood education programs in mid-Michigan. 

Original source can be found here.