Kids Cafe

One of The Montana Food Bank Network's strategies for significantly increasing the number of concerned Montanans who are directly engaged in fighting hunger is to broaden grassroots community outreach and education activities. 
The goal of the Kids Cafe program is to feed hungry children through resources strengths and expertise of America's Second Harvest, network affiliates, member agencies and other program partners that local affiliates decide to include.

The program's intent is to feed hungry children in specific way and within specific environments.   This is done to address the complexity of child hunger, knowing that:

• Nutrition is a critical factor in a hungry child's long term development, and
• The act of feeding hungry children in safe environments removes many barriers that can prevent children from gaining access to free, nutritious food within child-centered spaces or programs.

Kids Cafe program goals/objectives are:

• Provide nutritious meals to children in need.

• Supplement meals with nutrition education activities.

• Locate these sites within easy access to the children being served

• Support childhood socialization activities by involving community and family members

• Conduct these activities in safe and secure sites, under supervision of trustworthy staff

• Involve additional resources, programs, partners, families, and others in order to assure sustainability to the Kids Cafe that is established.