Presidential Documents

83601 

Federal Register 

Vol. 89, No. 201 

Thursday, October 17, 2024 

Title 3— 

The President 

Proclamation 10837 of October 11, 2024 

National School Lunch Week, 2024 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

America’s children deserve every opportunity to live fulfilling and healthy 

lives, and nutritious meals are key components in building those lives. 

During National School Lunch Week, we reaffirm that the health and wellbeing of our Nation’s children are a national priority. We recommit to 

doing everything we can to end child hunger. And we celebrate school 

nutrition professionals, who do the critical work of planning, preparing, 

and serving nutritious school meals to more than 30 million students each 

day. 

Healthy school lunches benefit our Nation’s students and their families. 

Fueled by a good lunch, students can better focus in the classroom and 

be set up for success throughout the rest of their day. Free and reducedprice school meals provide families with some breathing room. And for 

families that live in areas where there are no grocery stores with healthy 

food options nearby, school meals can be a lifeline—offering children reliable, 

nutritious meals. 

My Administration is committed to putting a healthy school lunch within 

reach of all our Nation’s children, no matter their family’s income. That 

is why we are giving more schools the option to make free school meals 

available to every student, and we published a final rule updating nutrition 

standards for school meals to improve children’s health. For the first time 

since 1975, we modernized the Thrifty Food Plan, making a healthy diet 

more affordable for the millions of families with Supplemental Nutrition 

Assistance Program benefits. These actions are a part of our national strategy 

to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases by 2030. That plan includes 

the goal of expanding access to healthy, free school meals to nine million 

more kids—working toward a future where every kid has access to one. 

We also hosted the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, 

and Health in over 50 years. Since then, we have galvanized over $10 

billion in external commitments dedicated to ending hunger and reducing 

diet-related diseases in children and families across the country. Furthermore, 

we are giving schools the resources they need to purchase food from local 

farmers and ranchers and cook meals from scratch—giving kids healthier 

options and powering our rural economy. 

My Administration is taking steps to ensure our Nation’s children and 

families do not go hungry and can afford healthy food. This year my Administration launched SUN Bucks—also referred to as Summer Electronic Benefits 

Transfer—to provide families with money to buy groceries when school 

is out, reaching an estimated 21 million children. My American Rescue 

Plan expanded the Child Tax Credit, slashing child poverty by nearly 50 

percent and helping keep food on the table for millions of families during 

the pandemic. I continue to call on the Congress to restore the enhanced 

Child Tax Credit to ensure families have the money they need to feed 

and care for their kids. 

During National School Lunch Week, we recognize how important school 

lunches are to kids and families alike and recommit to expanding access 

to healthy, free school meals to support the health of the next generation. 


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83602 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 201 / Thursday, October 17, 2024 / Presidential Documents 

And we thank all the school staff, school nutrition professionals, educators, 

and school leaders, whose tireless work nourishes the future leaders of 

our Nation. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States 

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 13 through 

October 19, 2024, as National School Lunch Week. I call upon all Americans 

to recognize and commemorate all those who operate the National School 

Lunch Program with activities that raise awareness of the steadfast efforts 

in support of the health and well-being of our Nation’s children. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day 

of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the 

Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortyninth. 

[FR Doc. 2024–24139 

Filed 10–16–24; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3395–F4–P 


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