Programs for Children
Responding to the need this summer
As school ends, thousands of children face the summer months without a consistent source of meals. In response, the Greater Chicago Food Depository has expanded its summer offerings for 2010.
- The Food Depository is distributing meals through approximately 90 sites this summer, up from 49 last year.
- Our new Lunch Bus (PDF) delivers meals five days a week to children in the underserved communities of Chicago Heights, Little Village and Brighton Park. The bus will serve approximately 27,500 meals this summer.
- Meals will be served to children at 65 Kids Cafes across Cook County.
- Thirteen pantries will incorporate special meals for children into their offerings.
»» For more information about the meals program, view the flyer (English | en español) or contact the Food Depository.
Kids Cafe®
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| Looking to start a Kids Cafe? Read the guidelines (PDF) and complete and submit this application (PDF). |
Children should never have to worry about where or when they will have their next meal. Thanks to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, thousands of children in Cook County receive nutritious meals after school, on weekends, and during the summer.
The link between child nutrition and mental and physical growth is well established. Lack of proper nourishment can affect health and hamper growth. Hunger also contributes to a lack of concentration and energy, and may result in irritability and poor performance in school. More than 37 percent of the people who receive food from the Food Depository are children, totaling 250,000 children in Cook County every year.
The Kids Cafe Program is an initiative of Feeding America and is administered locally by the Food Depository. The Food Depository distributes approximately 3,000 meals each day to more than 60 after-school and summer programs in Cook County. Hot meals are prepared by Chicago's Community Kitchens (CCK), the Food Depository's foodservice training program for underemployed and unemployed adults. CCK works to create healthy, USDA-approved meals using the most nutritious ingredients, including brown rice, whole wheat flour and whole wheat pasta in its recipes.
Kids Cafe program options include meal service on weekends and during the summer, so that children from low-income families have access to a free meal even when school is not in session. After-school and summer programs also provide tutoring assistance and educational activities. Meals are made available to eligible participants without regard to race, color, sex, age, disability or national origin.
For more information about Kids Cafe, download the Frequently Asked Questions (PDF). If you are interested in receiving meals at your program or if you would like to locate a Kids Cafe in your area, please contact the Food Depository's Programs Department at 773-843-2608.
Nourish for Knowledge
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| Looking to become a Nourish for Knowledge school? Complete and submit this application (PDF). |
Nourish for Knowledge is the local initiative of Feeding America's Backpack Program. The program provides take-home bags of nutritious, ready-to-eat, shelf-stable food to schoolchildren in low-income neighborhoods. Nourish for Knowledge ensures that children who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals at school have the nutritious food they need over the weekend. The Food Depository and Chicago Public Schools have teamed up to offer the bags of food in 41 schools. The program also serves two suburban elementary schools in Chicago Heights and Ford Heights. More than 7,300 bags of healthy snacks are distributed every week.
Recent highlights:
- In Fall 2009, the Food Depository began adding meal-like contents to the bags such as: tuna salad cups, minestrone soup, beef and noodles, and oatmeal packets.
- In January 2010, the program expanded a pilot to include three pieces of fresh fruit with each bag for every Nourish for Knowledge recipient.
- Introduced new site requirement for schools to demonstrate a commitment to child nutrition by offering federal nutrition programs to students, including universal breakfast in the classroom by January 2011.
For more information about Nourish for Knowledge, download the Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) or contact the Programs Department at 773-843-2608.
