Proper nutrition is vital to the social, cognitive, and physical development of our children. Kids who do not get enough healthy food to eat are more likely struggle in school and are less likely to grow up to be successful and productive citizens. This is the reality for millions of children in America.
Our Child Nutrition Programs
Virginia’s food banks operate several programs designed to fill the nutrition gaps faced by our children. More than 690,000 students rely on free or reduced-price school meals, but still face food insecurity on evenings, weekends, and school breaks.
Ou member food banks support summer and afterschool meal programs, school-based pantry programs and weekend food backpack programs that are all uniquely tailored to the needs of their community. These programs use innovative service models so children have the fuel they need to learn, play, and grow. In 2022, the Commonwealth of Virginia granted over $1 million in federal funding (TANF) to help the Federation expand and sustain its federal nutrition programs. We were able to expand programming into more than twenty localities for the first time, and in total, our food banks served more than 217,000 children at 884 distribution sites. The funding also helped us provide nearly three and a half million pounds of staple grocery items, including a million pounds of produce, to the households of low-income children.
