According to the latest Map the Meal Gap, child hunger has increased from 21% to a little over 30% due to the effects of COVID-19. This means nearly 1 in 3 children go home to little to no food.
Mid-South Food Bank serves children in our region by distributing food through Partner Agencies and our child hunger programs: Healthy School Pantry, Food for Kids BackPacks, and Kids Cafe.
Healthy School Pantry
School-based pantries offer take-home food for children and their families at school and make food readily accessible to low-income students and families. These sites have set distribution schedules and offer ongoing food assistance services. Healthy, nutritious food is distributed free of charge during the academic school year.
Food for Kids BackPacks
This program provides easy-to-prepare food for the weekend when children lack access to free or reduced-price school meals. MSFB offers disposable “backpacks” to students Friday afternoon before dismissal. Each backpack has enough nutritious food for six meals.
Kids Cafe
This program feeds children ages 6-18 a hot, well-balanced meal using the My Plate Model five days a week. Food is served free of charge in a safe environment for children after school.
For more information, please contact our Child Nutrition Manager, Tasha McCraven, by filling out the form below.