In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, the entire nation is coming together to pool donations and resources to help the victims that have lost nearly everything due to the disaster.
Working parents will have to face a lot of mending in the next few months. And with some families, most of their savings will have to go to recovering from the hurricane.
According to Houston's local news source Chron, the Houston Independent School District announced the recent approval from the USDA and the Texas Department of Agriculture to "waive the application process for the National School Lunch/Breakfast Program." In other words, all 218,000 students from HISD will eat free for the entire 2017-2018 school year.
This waiver is a part of an ongoing effort to support the state's mission to reduce food insecurity and to provide food for as many students as possible.
With so many families uprooted and left to take care of what was left after the disaster, this kind gesture will give families one less worry, while also providing a sense of normalcy and security. The waiver is expected to take effect immediately, giving students access to three nutritious meals each school day.
"It will take months, possibly years for the city to recover." said Betti Wiggins, the district's nutrition services officer, to HISD's news blog. "We expect families to be displaced, students to attend new schools, and many of them possibly using alternative ways to travel to and from school." She continued, saying the Houston school system wants to "reduce any stress connected to food while families work toward getting their personal affairs in order."
If you'd like to join the effort in providing food to the hurricane victims in Houston, please visit the Houston Food Bank website for more information.