National School Lunch Week, 1995

Proclamation 6835 of October 6, 1995

National School Lunch Week, 1995

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On June 4, 1946, President Truman signed the National
School Lunch Act-- landmark legislation designed to
ensure the nutritional health of America's students.
This year, nearly half a century later, the Department
of Agriculture has updated Federal regulations to
require school meals to meet the Dietary Guidelines for
Americans. The resulting School Meals Initiative for
Healthy Children is the most significant reform of the
meals program since President Truman's time,
underscoring our Nation's profound responsibility to
protect our children's well-being.

Recognizing that simply adopting policies does not
always guarantee change, my Administration launched
Team Nutrition on June 12, 1995, to unite public and
private organizations in promoting healthful dietary
habits through schools, community organizations, and
the media. This groundbreaking measure also provides
the training, technical assistance, and nutrition
education that are critical to the School Meals
Initiative's successful implementation. This fall marks
the introduction of the Team Nutrition Schools Program,
which brings together teachers and principals, children
and families, community leaders, and school food
services professionals to work for healthier school
meals and to make available better nutrition
information.

The National School Lunch program currently operates in
more than 95 percent of our Nation's public schools and
serves some 25 million students daily. The only
nutritious meal of the day for many children, a school
lunch can help to lengthen attention span, increase
learning capacity, and dramatically improve overall
health. Thanks to dedicated educators, parents,
Federal, State, and local officials, and particularly
food service professionals, more than 92,000 schools
and residential child care institutions across the
country provide wholesome meals to our Nation's
children, enabling them to look forward to a healthier
future.

In recognition of the contributions of the National
School Lunch program to the nutritional well-being of
our young people, the Congress, by joint resolution of
October 9, 1962 (Public Law 87-780), has designated the
week beginning the second Sunday in October of each
year as ``National School Lunch Week'' and has
requested the President to issue a proclamation in
observance of that week.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 8
through October 14, 1995, as National School Lunch
Week. I call upon all Americans to recognize those
individuals whose efforts contribute to the success of
our national meals programs, and I encourage people
everywhere to reaffirm their commitment to safeguarding
children's health.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen
hundred and ninety-five, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and twentieth.