The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has chosen its 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids & Farms grantees for 2020-2021, which includes several grantees in Ingham County.

Grantees include: Lansing Public School District ($100,000); Lansing Catholic High School ($5,000); and Holt Public Schools ($8,000).

10 Cents A Meal for Michigan's Kids & Farms is a state-funded program providing schools and early childhood education centers with match incentive funding up to 10 cents per meal to purchase and serve Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

"It’s great to see that several Ingham County food service programs have applied for and received 10 Cents a Meal grants from the MDE,” said State Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr. (D-East Lansing). “Lansing Public Schools’ award of $100,000 is tied for the largest in the state and these funds will ensure that area students get access to nutritious, local, fruits and vegetables in the middle of a pandemic and that local growers have a market for their goods.”

The Michigan legislature and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer increased funding from $575,000 to $2 million for 10 Cents a Meal in the 2021 budget. Initially a pilot program launched in 2016, 10 Cents has been expanded so that it is available to schools statewide for the first time ever. Additionally, the program has been expanded to include early childhood centers as also eligible for the grant funding. 

“10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids & Farms provides students an opportunity to improve their nutrition while also investing in local agriculture,” said State Rep. Kara Hope (D-Holt). “I was excited to see that the Lansing Public School District, Holt Public Schools, and Lansing Catholic High School were all 10 Cents a Meal grantees for 2020-21. This program benefits the entire community and I look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have in the Greater Lansing area.” 

In this time of greater food insecurity due to the pandemic, food service programs are playing an essential role in delivering healthy, nutritious meals to Michigan’s children. The 10 Cents a Meal program amplifies local purchasing power while also providing a market for small-to-medium scale growers. 

“As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am proud of our state for coming together during a particularly challenging time to increase funding for the 10 Cents a Meal program,” said State Representative Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing). “Right here in Greater Lansing, we have seen an unprecedented level of need from working families and our students need more support than ever at home. The $113,000 in funds for schools in Ingham County will surely go a long way. “The COVID-19 pandemic has also continued to shed light on the racial disparities in health outcomes and nutrition, and the 10 Cents a Meal program will play an important role in closing the equity gap, so all children have the resources they need to thrive,” Rep. Anthony added. 

To learn more, please visit www.tencentsmichigan.org.

For the list of 2020-21 award grantees, visit https://www.tencentsmichigan.org/about.

For the Michigan Department of Education press release on the new 10 Cents a Meal grantees, please click here.