"Something Very Weird Has Happened": Mom Discovers Department of Defense Is Providing School Lunch

A mom on TikTok named Melissa Simpson (@melissasimpson) recently took to the video-sharing platform to share a passionate and eye-opening series of videos about the U.S. Department of Defense's involvement in providing lunches to schools across the country.

Her first video, which has surpassed the 533K view mark, features a blue-screen rant with a USDA website in the background, and Melissa dives deep into the USDA DOD Fresh program.

For reference, the USDA Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program facilitates schools' purchase of fresh produce using USDA Foods entitlement funds. This program is a collaborative effort between the USDA and the DOD's Defense Logistics Agency, along with state distributing agencies, allowing a wide reach including 49 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam.

The website, Melissa states, leads the public into thinking this program is available in all public schools.

Melissa hits the topic head-on by addressing a common misconception: “It's funny to say 'this is not true in California,' that the USDA, in partnership with the Department of Defense, is not providing food for schools in California. And I will grant that not every school does this. It's only if they want the reimbursement from these contracts.”

She then provides a detailed look at the USDA's official website, explaining how the program started in 1994 and has since expanded to involve 48 states. Melissa notes, “So it's possible that portions of this are only in certain states. It's possible that they haven't fully updated everything, and now it's a total 49, like it says on the other page.”

Melissa continues to investigate by clicking through various links on the USDA site, explaining, “This says that 42,000 schools participate with weekly orders. So we know that's not every single school in the country, and we know that that is not every school in California.” She highlights the two types of support schools can receive: cash reimbursements for meals served and USDA foods entitlements.

In a second video, Melissa reveals the reaction to her findings: “Guys, we need to talk. Something very weird has happened. I put out a video when I discovered that the Department of Defense is where we are ordering our food from for our school district, and when I did further research it showed that 49 states are doing that, and 42,000 schools throughout the United States are placing orders every week through the DOD.”

Melissa emphasized that her intention is not to spread conspiracy theories but to highlight how money influences school lunch contracts: “It's just that money is incentivizing things, and that that's a factor here. These companies that are getting the contracts, it limits the choices that the school districts have, and it limits the choices that the schools within the districts have.”

Her third video in the series lightens the mood with a quirky realization: “I was today years old when I found the Department of Defense provides our kids' school lunches.” This video shows her astonishment and humor at the discovery cross-cut with a video of a goat screaming over a text card reading, “Whaaaaa!!!!???” with a quirky title buttoning the series, “Goats say it best. 🐐 #dod #schoollunch.”

Parents and users on TikTok were heavily engaged with Melissa's series, many sharing their thoughts and concerns. One user asked, “How can I ask my children's school if they are part of this? Do I ask the principal? The cafeteria lady? 🤔 Curious to know! Do u think there's a list in each district?” Another shared their experience with private school lunches: “We go to a private school and pay $5 a lunch but it's pretty decent food, not amazing but better than public school.”

One commenter praised Melissa's investigation with a simple “You can drop your mic now 🎤.”

Melissa’s videos also tap into a broader sentiment of distrust towards the U.S. government. According to the Partnership for Public Service, only about one-third of Americans trust the federal government, with 46 percent expressing distrust

In addition, Pew Research Center reports that only around 20 percent of Americans say they trust the government to do what is right "just about always" or "most of the time." This low level of trust has, accordingly to polling, been consistent for over a decade, highlighting a big gap between the public and government institutions.

TikTok remains one of the most crucial platforms for public discourse, often bringing attention to issues that may otherwise slip under the radar depsite the US Government floating plans to ban the platform.

Melissa’s deep dive into the USDA DOD Fresh program and its implications for school lunches is a prime example of how social media can inform and engage the public on important topics relating to US families — a #PowerMom move.