Kids Cafe

Mission & Goals

With a mission to help end child hunger in America, the Kids Cafe program focuses on the following goals:

• Provide nutritious meals to children in need.
• Partner with a host site that provides enrichment activities such as nutrition education, homework assistance, cultural activities and recreation.
• Locate programs in safe, accessible sites under the supervision of trustworthy staff.
• Secure the support of resources and partners to assure program sustainability.
• Generate public awareness and support for problems and solutions to the issue of child hunger in America.

History

In 1989, two young brothers were discovered in their housing project’s community center in Savannah, Georgia.  The older child had broken into the kitchen to feed himself and his hungry younger sibling.  In response, the Second Harvest Food Bank of Coastal Georgia started the first Kids Cafe.  In 1993, Dare to Care Food Bank opened the Louisville area’s first Kids Cafe.

Today

There are currently 13 Dare to Care Food Bank Kids Cafes in Louisville and Southern Indiana, serving over 98,000 meals each year. They are located in Boys & Girls Clubs, churches, YMCAs, and community centers.

Child Hunger

In 2008, nearly 13 million children were hungry or at risk of hunger.  One in five children under the age of 18 are considered at risk of hunger. And sadly, the statistics only worsen for children under 5 years old-25% of these children in Kentucky are at risk of hunger. These staggering figures are especially disheartening when you think about the impact that it means for the health, intellectual maturity, and overall well-being of these youth.

Extensive research indicates that poor nutrition experienced by young children during critical periods of growth may lead to reductions in physical growth and adversely affect brain development. Children who are undernourished are more likely to miss school, be sick, fatigued, unable to make friends easily, and be unable to concentrate in school.

For More Information

To learn more about Dare to Care Food Bank’s Kids Cafes, contact Jenny Smith at 502.966.3821 or  jenny@daretocare.org.

How to get Involved

Help with in kind donations

• Paper plates
• Cups
• Napkins
• Plastic dinnerware
• New or gently used games, books, activities

Volunteer at a Kids Cafe

If you are interested in volunteering at a Kids Cafe, look at the Kids Cafe site list (PDF) and pick a site whose location and serving times fit your schedule. Keep in mind that you may need to arrive earlier in order to assist with preparing the meals.

Call the contact person listed for that site and arrange the times and dates for you to volunteer. If you are over 18, you will be required to give your name, address, SS#, and date of birth for a background check.

As a volunteer, some of your duties might include:

• Help with meal preparation
• Help serve the meals
• Pour juice
• Hand out plastic utensils and cups
• Interact with children
• Assist with cleanup

Become a Kids Cafe Chef!

Several Kids Cafes are looking for someone with a passion to help children by preparing meals three nights a week.  All you need is a heart for helping others and a Safe Food Handlers Certificate (or equivalent) and you will be equipped to make an impact on thousands of children’s lives.  If interested, please call our Kids Cafe Director Jenny Smith at 966.3821 for details.

Becoming a Kids Cafe

There are several factors that Dare to Care Food Bank takes into consideration when looking for a Kids Cafe host site, but here are a few major qualifications that a site must have:

• Site must be located in an area of need and within walking distance to community children.
• Site must have free children’s programming in which children are already participating.
• Site must have a health department certified kitchen equipped with ample storage. (Storage includes pantry space, freezers and refrigerators)
• Storage must have locking ability which will only be used for Kids Cafe.
• Site must have or be able to hire a cook. Cook must maintain a Safe Food Handlers certificate approved by the local health department.
• Site must be dedicated to feeding community children

If you think your site qualifies to be a Kids Cafe and would like to know more, contact the Kids Cafe Director Jenny Smith at 502-966-3821×206 or email jenny@daretocare.org.