Help get veggie school lunches in California schools!

[Guest guest]

Hey everyone,

You may recall that a couple of months ago someone posted something

about a program called Project Healthy Beginnings (PHB) on SFBAVeg.

The program seeks to make plant-based lunches available to California

students, alongside the standard fare of pepperoni pizza, hot dogs,

and burgers. (Check out the website at www.veggieschoollunches.com.)

In December, PHB founder Barbara Gates, EarthSave Executive Director

Caryn Hartglass, SoyHappy President Johanna McCloy, and little old I

went to Sacramento to approach several California state legislators

about their introducing the initiative as a state resolution. Lo and

behold, one of them--Assemblyman Joe Nation, from Marin--has agreed

to author it!

 

Barbara founded PHB after jumping through hoops to get vegan

alternatives in her kids' school, and believes passing a resolution

would give parents much more credibility in their efforts. A similar

resolution was passed unanimously in Hawaii in 2002, so hopefully

California can follow its lead.

 

We're approaching the campaign largely from a health perspective,

given all the childhood (not to mention adult) obesity reports we

keep reading about. We're also emphasizing that many students are

currently unable to take part in the school lunch program because of

religious dietary restrictions (kosher, halal), lactose intolerance,

or for ethical reasons (vegetarianism or veganism). Whatever your

reasons are for wanting veg options are good reasons, and we hope you

will take action on this issue!

 

With this background, I am forwarding comments from Barbara below.

Feel free to contact me or Barbara (her contact info is at the bottom

of this email) if you'd like more information.

 

If you are a parent, relative, caregiver, committed individual and/or

representative for an organization committed to supporting this

resolution, please send letters, in support to your legislator and a

letter of thanks to Assemblyman Joe Nation of Marin who will be the

author. Letters to Joe Nation can be addressed to:

State Capitol

Room 3013

Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: (916) 319-2006

Fax: (916) 319-2106

 

Most of all, we need you to come to Sacramento/the Capitol for the

hearing (TBA) where legislators will have the chance to listen to

testimony. In all too many instances this is the only input

legislators will actually hear. And the vote could hinge on this

participation. It is an experience I think you will enjoy, as I did

so very much. (To read more about our experiences at the Capitol,

click on " Current Campaigns " at www.veggieschoollunches.com.)

Legislators need to hear about the health merits of including plant-

based veg lunches, as well as the need to include these lunches so as

not to exclude minority families who are left out of the school lunch

program because of their religious conviction to avoid animal foods.

 

And if you are in the Norhern CA area, I hope to see you at the Bay

Area VegFair on Sat. Feb. 1st (www.vegfair.org ), where I have been

asked to speak on the subject. I'm looking forward to it, and hope

you will introduce yourself if you attend.

 

Like animals, children are also voiceless. This resolution is a voice

for them. It has the potential to bring about significant change in

our society's outlook about food choices. It could help influence

generations to come. Change takes time, but this Resolution is a

significant and powerful beginning.

 

Imagine if one day half of all school lunches in California were

plant-based. How far reaching the effects could be for children, the

planet and for the animals. Imagine when other states follow suit.

And they would. Imagine the impact it could eventually have on all

USDA government food programs. Imagine when half or even more than

half of ALL school lunches in the United States are vegan. It will

never happen if we choose to give up on our children, as so many

School Food Programs have. If right now USDA policy is not the

incentive for school cafeterias to change, let us be their incentive.

Every tiny bit of input will eventually lead to greater change.

 

This Resolution will finally give parents, educators, and Food

Services the recognition, record, and tools needed to advocate for

plant-based school lunches; a sensible and sound approach that is

critical in teaching our children how to fight off the diet-related

diseases that are raging out of control in this country.

 

I hope you will get involved. It's going to be a great year!

 

Barbara Gates

(619) 442-5195

PHBeginnings

www.veggieschoollunches.com