Advocate for free school lunches will make pitch on P.E.I.

The PEI Home and School Federation is getting support for an Island-wide free lunch program, from a renowned Baltimore chef who transformed that city's public school food programs.

As director of school food for Baltimore city schools, Toni Geraci launched a sweeping redesign affecting 83,000 children.

Geraci is heading to the Island this fall to help lobby for free lunches for all kids.

"He'll be out in schools talking to students and teachers and administrators about school food, talking to people like the minister of education, and the premier," said Peter Rukavina, with the PEI Home and School Federation.

The program Geraci pioneered used locally sourced food, and provided nutrition education in the classroom as well.

The Home and School Federation said there arelots of options for such a program.

• P.E.I. Home and School Federation wants free lunches for all students

"We have to identify what is the best body to carry this out," said Rukavina. "Is it a Crown corporation called Lunch PEI, is it a set of private vendors, is it Home and Schools in individual schools? I don't think we know what the right model is."

The federation is conducting a survey of current school lunch programs across the Island, to find out how many already have informal systems to provide lunch to children in need.

Recently the federation passed a resolution to provide healthy free lunches to all Island students.

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