Charlotte County Public Schools participated in the inaugural Feed Virginia Day of Action on Friday.

“In an effort to improve nutrition and end hunger, Gov. Terry McAuliffe has declared Friday, Sept. 29 Feed Virginia Day of Action,” said Division Superintendent Dr. Nancy Leonard. “Let’s work together to end childhood hunger.”

According to Leonard, free breakfast was provided to all students, staff and faculty as a part of the initiative to celebrate the event.

According to a press release from McAuliffe’s office, more than 1,077 schools in 72 divisions serving 318,000 students hosted free universal breakfasts to commemorate the Day of Action.

The release indicated First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe created an executive order to combat childhood hunger as one of many initiatives in 2014 as chair of the Council on Bridging the Nutritional Divide.

The Virginia Food Access Network was sponsored by the council in May to help with the efforts, according to the release.

“We had double our usual number of students, as well as 31 staff members, who ate breakfast last Friday as a result of the initiative,” said Randolph-Henry High School Principal Robbie Mason. “Hopefully some students who might not normally each breakfast for a variety of reasons were able to receive a nutritious meal that morning. We also hope that these students and adults will see that we serve good food, and will want to eat school breakfast every morning.”

Leonard said the school division is trying to encourage students to eat a healthy breakfast. “Sometimes just having the opportunity to try a school breakfast encourages children to come back on another day and eat,” she said. “Children learn so much better when they are not hungry.”

The release stated the Feed Virginia Day of Action aligns with Feeding America’s Hunger Action Month.

“While Virginia has an abundance of agricultural resources, nutritious, affordable food is still out of reach for far too many families,” First Lady McAuliffe said in the release. “Our administration has focused on strengthening Virginia’s food system, and I am pleased to have partnered with many incredible organizations in that work. Today’s celebration represents both the impact of hunger in every corner of our commonwealth and a commitment from stakeholders and volunteers across our food system to building lasting solutions for all Virginians.”

In addition to schools across the state serving free breakfast to celebrate the day, several organizations hosted volunteer events.

“I’m proud of all the individuals and organizations who have come together to strengthen Virginia’s food system and participate in the first ever Feed Virginia Day of Action,” said Gov. McAuliffe in the release. “Virginia is at its strongest when we collaborate, share resources and align our missions across all sectors. Thanks to the First Lady’s leadership, we are leading the way in closing the nutrition gap for our food insecure families.”