Child Nutrition Programs

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 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.