Release No. 0047.00

Mary Beth Schultheis (202) 720-4623
marybeth.schultheis@usda.gov 

MRS. GORE ANNOUNCES NEW WELFARE TO WORK PARTNERSHIP, EFFORTS
TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO SCHOOL MEALS AND HEALTH INSURANCE

WASHINGTON, February 14, 2000--Continuing the Administration's aggressive efforts to encourage transitions from welfare to work, Tipper Gore announced today a $370,000 USDA grant for school cafeterias and community kitchens to assist food stamp recipients and low income families in obtaining skills for employment in school food service or other food service industries.

Mrs. Gore also announced that applications for free or reduced price school lunches are now available in 13 different languages, and that efforts continue to share information from school lunch applications to help low-income children obtain health insurance.

More than 26 million children participate in the school meals programs. When parents apply for free or reduced price school lunches, the application includes a waiver allowing them to receive information on Medicaid and state Children Health Insurance Plan (CHIP). Information and forms are available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Hmong, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Laotian, Japanese, Thai and Haitian. 

"School lunch or school breakfast is often the most nutritious meal a child has during the day," said Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, who joined Mrs. Gore in addressing the American School Food Service Association. "This effort can reach children who also need medical insurance."

The welfare-to-work grant resulted from a partnership between the USDA, the School Food Service Foundation and the D.C. Central Kitchen. The initiative, called the Community Kitchen Project, will be funded over a two-year period.

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