Template for written testimony: School Meals for All

School Meals for All: written testimony template

My name is ___________ and I live in ______________. Feel free to add any relevant identities you hold (such as “I am a …” parent, child/student, teacher or caretaker for an elder). I am writing in strong support of School Meals for All.

Add why YOU support School Meals for All, including personal points, experiences or stories related to School Meals for All. How would passing School Meals for All impact you, your family or your community? This part is important, and often what lawmakers remember.

Oregon is facing a hunger crisis, and it is getting worse. In 2025, Congress made the largest cuts to SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) in history. With grocery prices on the rise and hundreds of thousands likely to lose their Medicaid benefits, things aren’t likely to improve without bold policy action.

Today, 1 in 5 children in Oregon don’t have enough to eat, and one-third more Oregonians face hunger than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Food pantries across the state are confronting record-breaking levels of demand – Oregon Food Bank has never seen this level of urgent need in its 40+ years of food banking.

Please feel free to use any of the messages below you find most compelling:

• School Meals for All will ensure free meals are offered to all K-12 students. Public schools will serve meals at no cost to every student, eliminating stigma and ensuring access to nourishing meals at school.
• In an affordability crisis, school meals are a critical way we can support families. More and more families are struggling to make ends meet. This can save Oregon families over $1,400 per student each year.
• Reducing stigma and bullying around school meal access helps low‑income students feel safer and more included, allowing them to focus on learning rather than social pressure. No-cost meal programs reduce suspensions at a rate comparable to restorative justice programs.
• This will increase the quality of school meals. Because most schools don’t receive the full reimbursement rate for each meal, districts often have to make trade-offs relating to the ability to purchase high-quality ingredients. One district recently had to stop cooking meals from scratch because of lack of funding.

We know that when we all have access to food, we’re all better off. Kids do better in school, our families’ health and well-being improve, and our economy thrives through the support of local businesses. This is true in every corner of Oregon –in rural, urban and suburban communities alike. When all of our neighbors are getting the food that they need, all of Oregon thrives.

This is why I am urging you to pass School Meals for All.

Sincerely,

Your name

Click to access templates you can use to help get yourself started.

• Template for written testimony: Expanded Cash Assistance
• Template for written testimony: Funding the statewide free food assistance network
• Template for written testimony: Protect health coverage for immigrant Oregonians
• Template for written testimony: Fund these initiatives through revenue reforms

Click for the entire Story and testimony collection toolkit