Proclamation by the President: National School Lunch Week, 2000 (10/7/00)

This is historical material, "frozen in time."
The web site is no longer updated and links to external web sites and some internal pages will not work.
Proclamation by the President: National School Lunch Week, 2000 (10/7/00)
-

                                 THE WHITE HOUSE

                           Office of the Press Secretary

                                       __________________
For Immediate Release                                            October 7,
2000


                     NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH WEEK, 2000

                               - - - - - - -

             BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

                              A PROCLAMATION


     One of the best ways we can move forward as a society is to meet our
obligations to our children.  President Harry Truman recognized this
profound responsibility when he signed the National School Lunch Act into
law in 1946.  The significance of this legislation went beyond the daily
meal that children would receive; the National School Lunch Program firmly
established the Federal Government's commitment to work in partnership with
States, schools, and the agricultural community to administer a major
program designed to improve children's diets and, in turn, their overall
health and well-being.

     Today, more than 96,000 schools serve lunches to over 27 million
children every day -- more than half of them for free or at a reduced
price, so that no schoolchild in America, regardless of family income, need
go hungry at lunchtime.  We have also built on the program's success by
establishing a number of child nutrition initiatives administered by the
Department of Agriculture -- from the School Breakfast Program, which helps
ensure eligible children are ready to learn; to the Summer Food Service
Program, which serves healthy meals and snacks to low-income children
during long school vacations; to the Child and Adult Care Food Program,
which provides nutritious meals and snacks to infants and young children in
day care and to adults with physical or mental disabilities who are
enrolled in adult day care.  Most recently, we authorized funding through
the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 1998 to make snacks available to
children and teenagers enrolled in after-school programs.

     We can be proud that these school meal programs promote the well-being
of some of our Nation's most vulnerable children by providing them with the
nourishment they need to develop healthy bodies and sound minds.
Nutritious meals help students reach their full potential by keeping them
alert and attentive in the classroom.  As both common sense and extensive
scientific research confirm, a hungry child cannot focus on schoolwork as
well as one who has been fed a nutritious meal.

     The National School Lunch Program also offers us a valuable tool for
identifying children who are eligible for health insurance under Medicaid
or the State Children's Health Insurance Program.  Since 60 percent of
children who lack adequate health coverage participate in the school lunch
program, sharing eligibility information can improve our outreach efforts
and bring us closer to our goal of universal health care for all of
America's children.  My proposed budget for fiscal 2001 sets aside $345
million over 10 years to help schools share information with Medicaid and
the State Children's Health Insurance Program so that we can enhance our
efforts to reach eligible children and their families.  In addition, this
summer I announced an initiative to expand the school lunch program to the
developing world.  This initiative will make school lunches and breakfasts
available in the poorest countries for the poorest children, helping
students whose deficiencies in nutrition affect their cognitive development
and attracting children who otherwise might never attend school.

     As we observe National School Lunch Week this year, let us pay tribute
to the thousands of State and local school food service professionals
across America whose hard work and dedi-cation make these programs a
reality for our children; and let us acknowledge the important role school
lunches play in the healthy development of so many students.

     In recognition of the contributions of the National School Lunch
Program to the health, education, and well-being of our Nation's children,
the Congress, by joint resolution of October 9, 1962 (Public Law 87-780),
has designated the week
beginning the second Sunday in October of each year as "National School
Lunch Week" and has requested the President to issue a proclamation in
observance of this week.

     NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States
of America, do hereby proclaim October 8 through October 14, 2000, as
National School Lunch Week.  I call upon all Americans to recognize those
individuals whose efforts contribute so much to the success of our national
child nutrition programs, whether at the Federal, State, or local level.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of
October, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.





                              WILLIAM J. CLINTON





                                 # # #





Message Sent
      To:_____________________________________________________________

          Thomas D. Janenda/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Stephanie A. Cutter/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Loretta M. Ucelli/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Erika A. Batcheller/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Pamela P. Carpenter/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Christine L. Anderson/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Cheri L. Stockham/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Nanda Chitre/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Jason H. Schechter/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Richard L. Siewert/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Megan C. Moloney/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Victoria L. Valentine/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Anne M. Edwards/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Karen C. Burchard/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Mark A. Kitchens/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Jenni R. Engebretsen/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Lisa Ferdinando/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Stephen N. Boyd/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Gilbert S. Gonzalez/WHO/EOP@EOP
          James E. Kennedy/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Joel Johnson/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Margaret M. Suntum/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Ellen E. Olcott/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Mark C. Sheppard/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Pamela P. Carpenter/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Joshua S. Gottheimer/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Patrick E. Briggs/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Denver R. Peacock/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Susan L. Hazard/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Key C. German/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Michael A. Hammer/NSC/EOP@EOP
          Natalie S. Wozniak/NSC/EOP@EOP
          Sharon Farmer/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Ralph Alswang/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Craig A. Minassian/WHO/EOP@EOP



Message Copied
      To:_____________________________________________________________

          Alexander N. Gertsen/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Carolyn E. Cleveland/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Lauren A. Skryzowski/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Wanda M. Evans/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Michael J. Sullivan/WHO/EOP@EOP
          William T. Glunz/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Christine L. Anderson/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Sean P. Maloney/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Edwin R. Thomas III/WHO/EOP@EOP
          G. Timothy Saunders/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Sherman A. Williams/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Lisel Loy/WHO/EOP@EOP
          David E. Kalbaugh/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Melissa G. Green/OPD/EOP@EOP
          Natalie S. Wozniak/NSC/EOP@EOP
          Sarah Wilson/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Jane T. Schaffner/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Patrick M. Dorton/OPD/EOP@EOP
          Elliot J. Diringer/CEQ/EOP@EOP
          Anna Richter/OPD/EOP@EOP
          Devorah R. Adler/OPD/EOP@EOP
          Christopher C. Jennings/OPD/EOP@EOP
          Jane T. Schaffner/WHO/EOP@EOP
          James E. Kennedy/WHO/EOP@EOP
          Sonya N. Hebert/WHO/EOP@EOP
Help
Site Map
Graphic Version
T H E W H I T E H O U S E