L.A. Success Story

             Share Our Strength's no Kid Hungry dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles on Wednesday night was a star-studded event with Jeff Bridges, Rachel Bilson, Darby Stanchfield, Blake Michaels and Sarah Hyland among others. It was a great financial success, thanks in part to so many celebrity chefs sharing their strength, Janet Hayes of Williams-Sonoma who we honored, and the generosity of  Jeff Skoll and Participant Media.

            With so much glitter under one roof, one could miss the real star of the evening: the L.A Unified School District which has achieved school breakfast participation of 102% of lunch participation, making it first in the nation. Congrats to the L.A. Fund for Public Education, California Food Policy Advocates, and the others who made this possible.  If the rest of California moved from the 54% average it is at today to our 70% guidepost we would add another 420,000 kids to school breakfast    

L.A.’s success is important for three reasons:

-          First and foremost, 270,000 kids in L.A. schools are starting their day with a breakfast that helps ensure they are ready to learn and will make them stronger, healthier, more attentive.

-          L.A.U.S.D. is a large and complex school system. If they can move to breakfast after the bell, so can any school system.

-          L.A. redefines what is possible, it not only sets the bar high, it lays the foundation for setting the next bar even higher.

Next week Share Our Strength will engage in discussions with California officials about a major expansion of our No Kid Hungry campaign.