Child Hunger

BackPack Program

BackPack clubs are for  children who often participate in after-school snack and dinner programs, but are faced with hunger on the weekends when these programs do not operate.

These backpacks, given out discretely to children before they leave for home on the weekends, are a welcome source of nutrition to parents who are often forced to choose between paying bills and buying groceries. “Last week it was ‘Do we buy groceries or pay he water bill?’” says Karen Lozano, a Tyler mother with two children participating in the backpack program. “This week, it is groceries or the gas bill. With the backpacks, I know that at least there’s something for the kids to eat.”

What's in a back pack?

The backpacks come filled with nutritious, easy-to-open food that does not require stove-top cooking. Empty backpacks are returned by the students and refilled for the following weekend. The typical backpack contains a variety of food usually including protein and fruit juices, for approximately $4.00 for 7 to 10 pounds of food.

Resources for BackPack:
		Sponsor a child in the BackPack Program
		East Texas Food Bank BackPack agency handbook of guidelines and procedures
		Weekly Reader News article
		Read the article on BackPack Clubs in the Wall Street Journal

Kids Cafe

Kids Cafe is an on-site feeding program that provides nutritious, well-balanced meals to children in a safe setting. Kids in surrounding neighborhoods can also take part in the after school  tutoring program and other activities such as physical fitness, simple meal planning, nutrition training and social skills.

Food Bank agencies currently operate 17 Kids Cafe sites, located in the cities of Crockett, Diboll, Henderson, Jacksonville, Lufkin, Longview, Marshall, Nacogdoches, Pittsburg, St. Augustine, and Tyler.

Combined with the energy of local companies, groups and individuals, Kids Cafes are able to provide a local grassroots approach to alleviating childhood hunger and to promote self-esteem and individual development.

For more information contact Brandi Lamberth, Youth Programs Coordinator, at brandi.lamberth@feedingamerica.org.

Summer Food Service Program

The Summer Food Service Program serves children in low-income communities who participate in free and reduced feeding programs during the school year. Since these programs end when school does, the Summer Food Service Program helps fill that hunger gap ensuring that children continue to receive nutritious meals during the summer.

Additionally, SFSP also provides supervised activities that are safe, fun, and filled with

nutrition education opportunities. Children benefit nutritionally by receiving well-rounded meals while parents are able to stretch their food dollars further. For more information on Summer Food Service Program contact Brandi Lamberth:  brandi.lamberth@feedingamerica.org.

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal- opportunity provider and employer.