Kids Cafe is the nation’s largest charitable meal service program exclusively for needy children. It is a program of America’s Second Harvest and sponsored nationally by ConAgra Foods’ Feeding Children Better Foundation. There are more than 1,300 Kids Cafes in the nation, now there is a second in Hidalgo County.
Kids Cafe is a program of America’s Second Harvest and was adopted as a national initiative to focus on and channel national and local resources to 38 percent of the people we serve as a network---hungry children. Currently, Kids Cafe is one of the nation’s largest charitable meal service programs, providing free and prepared food and nutrition education to hungry children.
The Hidalgo County Kids Cafe program "Keeping Kids Healthy" is located at the Boys and Girls Club in Pharr, making it the second Kids Cafe to be located in Hidalgo County. The majority of the children served at this Kids Cafe are from the neighborhood in Pharr, where more than 44% of the children live below the poverty level.
The intent of this program is to feed hungry children in specific ways and within specific environments. This is done to address the complexity of child hunger, knowing that:
1. Nutrition is a critical factor in a hungry child’s long-term development
2. The fact of feeding hungry children in a safe environment removes many barriers that can prevent children from gaining access to free, nutritious food within child-centered spaces or programs.
- Provide nutritious meals to children in need
- Supplement meals with nutrition education activities
- Locate these sites within easy access to the children being served
- Support socialization activities in family-style environments
- Conduct these activities in safe and secure sites, under supervision of trustworthy staff
- Involve additional resources, programs, partners, families, and others in order to assure sustainability of the Kids Cafe is established.
