FCPS’ Office of Food and Nutrition Services recently announced a sponsorship of the At-Risk After School Meals Program. The new program will provide a meal or snack to any student at participating schools who are staying after school.

Meals will be provided at a total of over 30 schools including AHS and multiple middle schools in the area such Holmes, Poe and Glasgow. The same meals that will be provided after school will also be available at no separate charge to all participants at each site upon request.

“I think that after-school lunch now being available will be very beneficial,” senior Hanan Isee said. “Many students stay after for long periods of time and end up needing a meal.”

The program is a part of the Child and Adult Care Food Program which is sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and administered by the Virginia Department of Education’s Child and Adult Care Food Program.

This yet another step that AHS is participating in this school year in order to ensure that all students are receiving proper nutrition through meals. Also implemented earlier this year was the second-chance breakfast opportunity which allows students to get breakfast in between the 15-minute break between R1 and R3 as well as W2 and W4.

“The second chance breakfast was a really good idea because a lot of teens skip breakfast which should be the most important meal of the day,” senior Aklesiya Abebe said. “I think offering meals after school will have the same positive effect.”