New Mexico Appleseed/

Child Hunger

New Mexico Appleseed has created three first-in-the-nation laws and programs that have been lauded and/or replicated nationally.

• Anti-Lunch Shaming law: In 2017, New Mexico Appleseed successfully created and advocated for the nation’s first law that prohibits schools from denying children food, making them throw out meals and giving cheese sandwiches or other embarrassing meals because their parent’s owed money at the cafeteria. This law and New Mexico Appleseed received international press (New York Times, CBS Sunday Morning, Washington Post, etc.) and has been replicated all over the country
• Breakfast After the Bell: In 2011, successfully created and advocated for the nation’s first law that requires high poverty schools to serve breakfast at the start of the school day, ensuring that all children get a free and healthy breakfast. This law feeds 116,000 children every year and has also been replicated nationally also. It is being expanded to middle and high schools next year.
• Navajo Food Access Navigator: In 2015, New Mexico Appleseed designed a program for the Navajo Nation that received a USDA Innovation Demonstration grant (also highlighted in New York Times). The nation received $2.4 million and employed 19 tribal members to increase access to local and healthy food in multiple communities.