Child Nutrition Programs
In Alabama, almost 250,000 children experience food insecurity. That means 1 in 5 children experience hunger everyday. Feeding Alabama and our eight food bank members deploy an array of programs to assist children and families in need of food support. These programs support children and ensure they have access to nutritious meals during the summer, at the end of the school day, on weekends, and during holidays.
When school is not in session during the school year and summer, we operate the Summer Feeding Program and support Afterschool Meals Program. Both of these programs give children access to nutritious meals and snacks in a safe, supervised environment where children can engage in enjoyable activities and enrichment. If you are interested in learning more about either of these programs or becoming a partner in these programs, please visit our program pages.
Backpack food programs are another offering of our food banks for children to limit hunger over the weekends and school breaks. Backpacks include healthy, easy-to-prepare food for kid-friendly meals. That way, kids return to school on Monday, ready to learn. The food banks partner with schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, and community centers to distribute backpacks to kids throughout the year.
School Pantry Programs, another innovative approach, help alleviate child hunger by distributing food to children and their families near or in a school setting. By working with community partners, food banks and school administrators set up on-site food pantries, that are convenient for students and their families to access throughout the school year and during school breaks. By locating pantries inside or near schools, students and their families have easier access to food assistance and feel more comfortable in accessing this assistance. In addition to receiving food items through the School Pantry Program, children and their families may also receive recipe cards, on-site cooking demonstrations led by community partners, along with other additional resources the food bank and/or school may provide.
Feeding Alabama brings awareness to these programs and food insecurity throughout the state by serving as a member of Governor Kay Ivey’s End Child Hunger in Alabama task force. As a member of the task force, we work to decrease child hunger by providing access to important programs and services and advocating for children and families. We also bring awareness to college hunger by serving on the task force’s college hunger coalition.
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
