Healthy school snack program at Beverly J. Martin hurting for funds

Healthy school snack program at Beverly J. Martin hurting for funds

ITHACA -- A child nutrition program at Beverly J. Martin Elementary School may end before the school year is out if additional funding cannot be found.

he Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program needs $43,000 to continue until the end of the school year, said Amie Hamlin, executive director of the New York Coalition for Healthy School Food. Current funds will run out Jan. 4.

The program provides students with four free servings of fruits and vegetables as a snack each day. The food is all raw, mostly locally-grown and organic, and eaten without dips or dressings.

Hamlin and program director Lara Kaltman are trying to get a referendum to support the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Snack Program on the ballot in May along with votes on the school budget and board member elections. But a referendum to support the program may be more difficult than they thought.

"Including the program under the general fund budget is not a good idea, which is why we want to propose a separate referendum," Kaltman said. "However, we're hearing this might not be possible. Without this support, there is no way to continue this program on an ongoing basis, nor expand to other schools."

Hamlin said that because the grants that were flowing to the program last school year have slowed this year, the program's financial situation has deteriorated.

"I would say that certainly the foundations that give out money are under more pressure than ever before," she said. A poor economy has resulted in more applications for the same amount of grants. "That means we have the same number of dollars to split up among many others."

The New York Coalition for Healthy School Food is dedicated to education about nutrition in school food and to bringing healthier food into school cafeterias. In September, the coalition was recognized for its efforts with an award and grant from The Moms of the Revolution contest, sponsored by Revolution Foods and KIWI Magazine.

Though much of the work of preparing the snacks is done by volunteers, the program's main expense is a full-time program manager, Hamlin said.

The coalition has raised nearly $100,000 to fund the program since its beginnings in the spring of 2008.

"The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program created a school wide culture of wellness," said BJM Principal Denise Gomber. "There are no longer situations of have and have not related to affordability and access because this program has completely eliminated that inequity in our school."




I commend you for a great program which encourages lifelong healthy eating! However, I cannot afford to give all organic produce and fruit to my family, although I would like to, since it is priced at a premium. Perhaps that is where the cuts will need to be.



Thanks to the Ithaca Journal for a great article. I need to clarify that the program manager's salary is NOT the main expense of the program. Her salary is just over one-third of the budget. The largest single expense expense of the program is fruits and vegetables. Our budgets are scrutinized by all of the foundations that have funded the program.
~ Amie Hamlin, Executive Director