Breakfast Vending Machine Assists in Fight Against Childhood Hunger
(Marietta, OH) – On May 18, Children’s Hunger Alliance helped debut a new breakfast vending machine for students at Marietta Middle School in southeast Ohio.
While Marietta Middle School already makes breakfast at school available for free to all students, this recently installed vending machine offers another option and will help increase the number of students who eat a healthy breakfast.
Many children across Ohio don’t eat breakfast. Either due to choice or simply not having food at home to eat. Thanks to the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program and its partnership with Children’s Hunger Alliance, Marietta Middle School is making breakfast easy, nutritious and fun for all students.
The middle school purchased and installed the breakfast vending machine and, through a grant from the Walmart Foundation, Children’s Hunger Alliance is able give Marietta Middle School funding to reimburse them for the cost of the machine.
“The machine gives students a fast, easy and fun way to get a healthy breakfast,” said Erin Flynn, senior vice president of development for Children’s Hunger Alliance. “We are grateful to Walmart for granting the funds to cover the cost of the machine and helping more children have access to a healthy breakfast.”
On its first day in use, more than fifty students received breakfast from the vending machine simply by entering their student ID numbers. The vending machine can hold 72 healthy meals at a time, which adhere to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s nutritional standards.
Children’s Hunger Alliance received $75,000 in state funding from the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program to purchase breakfast vending machines for additional schools in Ohio including locations in Bucyrus and Lancaster.
Attending the event on May 18 were school district superintendent Will Hampton, Marietta Middle School Principal Brittany Schoob, teachers and students. The school meal vendor, AVI, who supplied the vending machine, was represented by Jennifer Curry, Regional Manager, and Patrick Snider. Representing Walmart was Cammy Medley, Co-Manager of the Marietta Walmart Store.