At Risk Afterschool Meal Program “A-RAMP”

The COVID‐19 Pandemic and the enactment of regulatory waivers for various USDA food assistance programs, such as the At-Risk Afterschool Meal Program (“A-RAMP”), has created a limited time‐horizon to thwart a generational setback in health and wellness by capturing and leveraging enacted USDA regulatory waivers to fortify school‐aged Arkansans and their families. USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (“FNS”) has provided a suite of nationwide through May 2022, allowing A‐RAMP meals to be served outside of the typically‐required group settings and meal times; waiving meal pattern requirements as necessary; and allowing parents and guardians to pick‐up meals for their children.   

Objective 1: Incubate localized solutions to expand accessibility for Arkansans experiencing challenges that prevent them from accessing healthy foods during the COVID‐19 Pandemic by leverage the FNS extension of the nationwide waivers for A-RAMP to provide food assistance to families of students who are eligible for the free or reduced lunch and afterschool program(s) and any disabled Arkansans, regardless of age.  

Objective 2: Provide afterschool meals and snacks in direct support of the retention and creation of Arkansas jobs by partnering with local restaurants to secure health‐conscious, locally sourced meals and snacks for distribution via the West Ninth delivery vans across Arkansas.