Kids Café

Hunger Impacts Kids

Kids Café is a federal program operated through Freestore Foodbank which provides free, complete & nutritious meals to children at the end of the school day so that they aren’t going hungry in the evenings. Kids Cafe provides hot meals each week to 13 after-school sites in Hamilton County ( OHIO) and Kenton County ( Kentucky).

The meals served at Kids Cafe are prepared by adult students from Freestore Foodbank’s Cincinnati COOKS! culinary job training program.

Ensuring Children Don’t Go Hungry in the Evening

More than 82,000 children living in the 20 counties served by Freestore Foodbank are at risk of hunger. Research shows that hungry children are more likely to be vulnerable to illness, lack focus and energy, and score lower on achievement tests. These children are more likely to suffer from poverty as adults.

Program Goals Include:

• Serving nutritious meals to children at risk of hunger
• Providing programs within easily accessible safe sites
• Supplementing the meal service with educational and enrichment activities

“The food really helps out our students,” said a Kids Cafe site coordinator. “One boy doesn’t get fed well at home, and the Kids Cafe healthy meals are a good supplement for him.”

Kids Café is part of a larger national effort by Feeding America, with nearly 120 member food banks helping to provide after school meals to children. Collectively, these programs serve more than 122,000 children nationally each year.