Children need a full belly to have a full mind.  Who would disagree that children who are well fed are not better equipped and more successful in school?  Beginning in 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued waivers to allow schools to provide meals to students at no charge throughout the COVID-19 pandemic no matter what their household income.  This waiver, set to expire at the end-Summer 2022 was unfortunately, not renewed by Congress earlier this year.  One could easily assert that hunger is a dimension of poverty.  “In 2020, there were 37.2 million people in poverty, approximately 3.3 million more than in 2019” (U.S. Census Bureau 2022). We know minority populations are significantly higher in their experiences of poverty in proportion to white populations.  In addition to those living in poverty there are those children/families who may not necessarily qualify for free/reduced school meals but certainly struggle in their ability to pay for these.    Schools providing free meals to all students eliminated the identification, stigma, and lunch shaming–it provided equality and access for all students to receive healthy meals throughout their day, providing a multitude of benefits.  It is because of this fact and more that these writers support, advocate, and demand this to be reconsidered and implemented within our schools again.  It is our societal obligation to ensure we remove as many obstacles for children on their path towards self actualization and adulthood.  Providing consistent, accessible, and free meals to all students is a critical step in this process.