Celebrity chef Bryan Voltaggio appeared before a House committee in Annapolis on Monday to support increased funding for a state school breakfast program.
“As a father and as a chef, it bothers me that we’re in a country with such great wealth and we can’t feed our own children. That’s why I’m so involved,” Voltaggio said, speaking in his role as a representative for the national nonprofit organization Share Our Strength. “I truly feel this is one mission we can actually accomplish.”
Voltaggio is chef and co-owner of VOLT restaurant on North Market Street in Frederick.
Voltaggio was supporting Gov. Martin O’Malley’s (D) proposal to give an additional $560,000 to Maryland Meals for Achievement, an innovative program that offers breakfast in the classroom to all public school students, regardless of family income.
Voltaggio and other supporters at the meeting said the program is successful because it doesn’t require students to arrive early to school or eat their breakfast in the cafeteria.
“All students sit down at an equal playing field. They all have a chance to get breakfast. That to me is very, very important,” Voltaggio said.
Cathy Demeroto, director of Maryland Hunger Solutions, said participation in school breakfast programs increases when it becomes part of the classroom schedule.
At Monocacy Elementary in Frederick, the number of students eating breakfast at school rose to 390 from 106 after Meals for Achievement was introduced. At Phelps Luck Elementary School in Howard County, 445 students participate in Meals for Achievement — up from 40 students who ate school breakfast the previous year.
The proposed funding increase would allow the program to reach about 45 additional schools and provide meals to 20,000 children.
Legislative analysts recommend cutting the increase in half — to $280,000.
“Maryland families are struggling. Maryland families are in fiscal crisis. Kids are coming to school hungry. Now is not the time to cut back,” Demeroto said.
In fiscal 2012, the Maryland Meals for Achievement program received $2.8 million and provided 5.3 million school breakfasts as of Dec. 31. The program has been funded at the same level since fiscal 2009.
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