As Jeffco Eats has been helping schools in their programs apply for federally or state or locally funded food programs, we wanted to share the hard facts. Private funding for foods provides ONE in 20 food bags.
We are thankful for Kids Café program at Food Bank Rockies for helping McLain High get additional after school foods. We are coaching other schools on getting connected to apply.
Kids Cafe Provides Meals for Araceli’s Family
Janie Gianotsos April 22, 2019 Faces of Hunger, Kung Food Fighters, Newsy
Last week, we had the pleasure of meeting Araceli and her four beautiful children, Jennifer, Genaro, Jitzel and Marie. Through Aurora Community Connections after school program, the children enjoy fun and educational activities and receive a meal provided by Food Bank of the Rockies and Colorado Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Araceli volunteers to help with the programs and assist the teachers. The kids participate in cooking classes, martial arts, homework club and reading. Before they start their activities, the children are given a Super Snack Meal that includes nutritious, ready-to-eat foods meeting all the USDA children’s meal requirements for protein, fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy.
Jennifer and Genaro enjoy the cookies, crackers and carrots. Marie, the oldest of the four, shares that she likes everything because it provides a balance of all the nutrients she needs. Jitzel enjoys reading and working with a tutor, so the food helps her concentrate.
The family participated in a Facebook Live interview with Vanessa Bernal from Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The department reimburses Food Bank of the Rockies for some of the costs to distribute the meals, making this important program possible.
After the interview, we asked Araceli why the meals were important to her family. She told us that she couldn’t afford to provide this food if it wasn’t available through the after school program. She expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to nourish her children and help them grow, thanking the community for their generosity and for making the meals and programs possible.
Your contributions mean the world to families like Araceli’s. Every dollar helps provide four meals. Donate here.
And if you’d like to volunteer, we have opportunities to help in our warehouse or community kitchen. Learn more and sign up here.
Bread for the World website has some good data to use in food insecurity work.
Fact Sheet Churches and Hunger
425 3rd Street SW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20024 1-800-822-7323 www.bread.org
Churches and charities are struggling to feed people affected by $19 billion in cuts to SNAP, our nation’s largest food assistance program.
Charity alone can’t feed everyone who’s hungry. Churches, food banks, and private food charities have all been stretched thin by our economic downturn. Food bank demand has increased nearly 50 percent since 2006.1 Yet 34 percent of Americans admit that they’ve cut back on donations to houses of worship2, making the role of federal nutrition programs even more crucial.
Food benefits from federal nutrition programs amounted to $102.5 billion in 2013,3 compared to $5.2 billion of food distributed by private charity in the same time period.4 In other words, federal nutrition programs delivered nearly 20 times the amount of food assistance as did private charities.
An $11 billion cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) went into effect Nov. 1, 2013, and has already impacted more than 47 million Americans. The average family of four lost up to $36 a month in benefits. This is equal to cutting 10 million SNAP meals every day from Nov. 1, 2013 through 2014. https://bread.org/sites/default/files/downloads/2014_churches_hunger_fact_sheet.pdf
BREAKFAST AFTER THE BELL IS ANOTHER GREAT PROGRAM –
Summer Foods Webinar – https://bestpractices.nokidhungry.org/webinars/strategies-improve-summer-meals-experience-kids-and-families
AFTER SCHOOL MEALS
https://bestpractices.nokidhungry.org/research/afterschool-meals
Strategies to Improve the Summer Meals Experience for Kids and Families Description The summer meals program is a lifeline for kids in need, but it fails to reach many of the kids who could benefit from program participation. Join No Kid Hungry for a conversation about how to improve the summer meals experience for kids and families through adopting creative strategies and family-centric approaches. Time
Mar 18, 2020 02:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada) Add to calendar Webinar ID 609-196-731
