VIDEO: Senator Moody Brings HHS Secretary Kennedy to Florida for Roundtable on Healthy School Lunches and Launches New Harvest to Hallways Program and DEPEND Initiative

TAMPA, Fla.-Senator Ashley Moody is working to make school lunches healthier through new federal programs aimed at providing nutritional food to students. Today, Senator Moody hosted U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr. and local school officials for a roundtable event discussing the importance of school food nutrition. As the mother of a school aged son, Senator Moody is dedicated to improving the eating habits and health of all Florida students.

The roundtable follows the Administration's announcement of Harvest to Hallways, a new joint initiative from The Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Agriculture aimed at improving school meals, connecting more American farmers with local schools and providing schools with the infrastructure and resources needed to serve healthier food. The event also covered HHS's new Developing Evidence for Programs to Ensure Nutrition for Development (DEPEND) initiative. DEPEND will provide funding for schools and school districts to develop and test innovative ways to provide nutritious food to students and identify effective approaches to improving school nutrition.

"As a mom of a child in school, I know parents are constantly looking for ways to improve the health of our kids. Ensuring our children are served healthy school meals is key to advancing that priority. Today, I hosted a roundtable discussion with Sec. Kennedy and important stakeholders to encourage Florida schools to join new key government programs that are now in place to create practical ways to serve healthier food that children will actually enjoy eating," said Senator Ashley Moody.

BACKGROUND:

• Senator Moody hosted today's roundtable discussion about the U.S. Health and Human Services Healthy Meals Incentives for Schools program.
• Senator Moody emphasized the importance of providing healthy food at schools-as 30-60% of a child's nutrition comes from school meals.
• Harvest to Hallways includes up to $70 million in school cafeteria infrastructure investments, including a new $50 million investment to help qualifying schools purchase equipment, improve food safety and establish or expand School Breakfast Programs, building on $20 million in previously announced equipment assistance grants.
• In addition, HHS has announced the DEPEND initiative that will support school food authorities, school districts, and individual schools pursuing innovative approaches in four key areas:
  • Purchasing & Supply
  • Workforce & Food Production
  • Student Demand & Meal Economics
  • Transforming Operations & Infrastructure

• Awards are expected to range from $75,000 to $2.5 million, depending on the scope of the proposal. If the initiative is successful, HHS aims to provide additional funding in fiscal year 2027.
• Earlier this year, Senator Moody spoke with the HHS Secretary during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee Hearing about the department's efforts to improve Americans' health via dietary changes.
• Florida hosted the HHS Secretary for the recent announcement that hospitals now must serve nutritious, healthy food. Senator Moody hosted HHS again for the announcement that Tampa General Hospital is among the first to sign HHS's Make Hospital Food Healthier Pledge.
• Read more about the Harvest to Hallways Program here.
• Read more about the DEPEND initiative here.
• For additional B-roll footage of today's event, click here.

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