Right now, thousands of children across Michigan are at risk of going hungry simply because state lawmakers can’t agree on a budget. If new funding isn’t approved, the state’s universal free breakfast and lunch program—launched just last school year—will end. That means students in districts like Vicksburg and Portage could be forced to pay for meals again, or go without entirely.

For many working families, the cost of school lunch is now simply out of reach. Food prices have surged nearly 20% since 2022, and food pantries across the state—like Twelve Baskets in Portage—are overwhelmed with demand. For kids who rely on school as their one dependable source of food each day, losing access to free meals isn’t just inconvenient. It’s devastating.

Children can’t learn when they’re hungry. Teachers can’t do their jobs when classrooms are filled with kids struggling to concentrate on empty stomachs. We’ve seen firsthand the difference it makes when all students are treated equally at lunch—no stigma, no hunger, no bureaucracy standing in the way of a healthy meal.

Ending this program doesn’t give schools “more freedom.” It punishes the students who need support the most while creating paperwork burdens for low-income families just to prove they qualify. Even worse, it leaves out kids whose families are struggling but don’t quite meet the income cutoff.

We’re calling on Michigan House Republicans to stop playing politics with kids’ meals and pass a budget that fully funds universal free breakfast and lunch for all public school students. We urge Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Senate to keep fighting for this program—and to ensure no child in Michigan goes hungry during the school day.

This isn’t charity—it’s justice. Sign this petition and demand Michigan lawmakers do what’s right: protect universal school meals now and into the future.