Childhood hunger is a devastating condition that pervades our community. At many of our schools, more than 80% of children rely on Free and Reduced Meals programs to get the nutrition they need. Unfortunately, these programs can only reach kids when they are at school. The Children’s Programs supplement Free and Reduce Meals by operating during times when children at not at school. By operating different service models during different parts of the year, we are able to provide kids with the food they need to be happy, healthy, and successful.
The first Children’s Program, the Backpack Program, began in 2008 serving 50 children each weekend at McCarver Elementary in Tacoma. This program now serves more than 1,100 children each weekend at dozens of schools in Tacoma, Lakewood, and Puyallup. Each backpack provides two days of food so children can come to school on Monday well-fed and ready to learn. Our backpacks contain easy to access foods for children who are unable to cook. Foods include snacks, instant soups and meals, and an additional bag of fresh fruits and vegetables for increased nutrition.
After Schools Snacks partners with schools in Tacoma to feed 200 children once the school day is done. These snacks support children in programs that help teach them how to make good and healthy choices.
If you’re one of our school partners, please fill out the form below to request help or changes to your current support. We’ll do our best to help.
We have a number of staff who make this program possible. Visit our team page to find the staff member who best fits your needs.