Hunger

That's in large part thanks to a new Vermont law that requires all public schools to offer free lunch during the school year. Meal sites are open at schools, libraries, community centers and churches in all 14 counties.

The state estimates that 45,000 children could participate. Eligible families will receive $120 per child to use at grocery stores and farmers markets.

About one in five students at Vermont’s largest university reported facing food insecurity. That’s in line with the rates among college students across the country.

Filmmaker Bess O'Brien previously gained national recognition for her 2013 film "The Hungry Heart."

After originally opting out of the program due to administrative costs, the Department for Children and Families is now trying to secure a waiver from USDA that would allow the state to draw down benefits without labor-intensive data collection.

The USDA's Summer EBT program provides per-child grocery benefits to families. Vermont officials say they will forego the program this year, but hope to enroll in 2025.

In a letter to lawmakers, Gov. Phil Scott said it was clear that lawmakers would override a veto if he tried to block the bill.

A worker at a Brattleboro homeless shelter was killed, and the woman charged with her murder was staying at the shelter. The service agency that runs the shelter shut down all its operations, and volunteers have stepped in to continue services.

During the pandemic, something sort of miraculous happened with the largest food assistance program in the country: It worked. For a lot of people, for the first time, the government provided meaningful funds to purchase food. By April though, emergency funding for SNAP benefits will end.

Host Connor Cyrus talks to advocates about cuts to federal food assistance and how it will affect Vermonters.