MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Access to healthy food is crucial for families, but not always the reality. More than 197,000 children in Tennessee go hungry according to the Save the Children Action Network (SCAN).
The national non-profit wants to change the statistic, and advocates made their way to Nashville to share the struggles facing families. Two bills have caught the organizations attention: HB 785 and HB255.
“This is really going to be a gamechanger,” said Katie Growden, SCAN State Manager.
HB 785, also known as Promising futures, aims to provide middle and low-income families with greater access to early childhood care. The average for a single child in early education in Tennessee is more than $8,700, according to SCAN.
“While children are in childcare, not only are they getting those great early childhood experiences, they also have access to healthy foods while they’re there during the day,” Growden said.
HB 255, also known as School Meals For All, is designed to bring healthy breakfast and lunches to every student in schools. Leaders with SCAN say more than 50,000 students in the Memphis area struggle with knowing where their next meal will come from.
LaTia Watson, who became an advocate with SCAN after 15 years as a teacher in Memphis schools, has witnessed this struggle first hand. Watson told ABC24 she started keeping extra food in her desk in case any of her students missed a meal.
“I have witnessed firsthand how hunger impacts students," Watson said. "It impacts their concentration. It can lead to a decreased academic performance...and so I made it my mission to make sure they were fed. What happens with our children impacts our society as a whole…If the parents and the kids are food secure, they have less to worry about and they can make greater contributions to society as a whole.”