As part of its Childhood Hunger Initiative and to help alleviate summer childhood hunger, Harvesters—The Community Food Network is offering its summer feeding program – Kids Cafe – at more than 50 sites this summer.
Working with the USDA and the states of Kansas and Missouri, Harvesters’ Kids Cafe offers free summer meals. The summer theme, “Meet and Eat,” welcomes all children and teens ages 18 and younger to come and meet up with their friends and enjoy a healthy meal. Many sites provide activities as well. Working with community partners, Harvesters serves meals at schools, libraries, parks, pools, community centers and churches throughout its 26-county service area.
All summer sites accept walk-ins and do not require pre-registration. Many sites will offer meals from June through mid-August. A full list of Kids Cafe sites can be found on Harvesters’ website at https://www.harvesters.org/Get-Help.
“More than 341,000 people turn to Harvesters for emergency food assistance, and nearly 20 percent of them are children,” said Valerie Nicolson-Watson, president and chief executive officer of Harvesters. “Through our childhood hunger programs like Kids Cafe, we are reaching out specifically to those children in need in our community. Kids should not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.”
Kids Cafe utilizes the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). CACFP and SFSP are federally funded programs through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and are administered by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Community Food and Nutrition Assistance in Missouri and the Kansas Department of Education, Child Nutrition and Wellness in Kansas.
To find additional summer feeding sites, visit the Kansas State Department of Education, Child Nutrition and Wellness at www.kn-eat.org, or the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services at
http://health.mo.gov/living/wellness/nutrition/foodprograms/sfsp/index.php.
The Kids Cafe sites in Kansas City, Kansas include:
• Bethel Neighborhood Center, 14 S. 7th St. – Kids Cafe begins June 10 and ends Aug. 9; meals will be served Monday through Thursday from 12:15 to 1 p.m. and from 3:30 to 4 p.m.
• Children’s Mercy Hospital-West, 4313 State Ave. – Kids Cafe begins June 3 and ends Aug. 9; meals will be served Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Grandview Park Presbyterian, 1613 Wilson Blvd. – Kids Cafe begins June 10 and ends July 13; meals will be served Monday through Friday from 8 to 9 a.m. and from noon to 1 p.m.
• KATA-Bethel Elementary School, 7850 Yecker – Kids Cafe begins June 3 and ends July 11; meals will be served Monday through Thursday from 7:45 to 8:30 a.m. and from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Oak Ridge Youth Development Center, 9301 Parallel Parkway – Kids Cafe begins June 17 and ends July 26; meals will be served Monday through Friday from 8 to 8:40 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Providence Family YMCA, 8601 Parallel Parkway – Kids Cafe begins June 3 and ends Aug. 16; meals will be served on Monday and Wednesday from 5 to 6 p.m.
• Quindaro Community Center, 2726 Brown Ave. – Kids Cafe begins June 3 and ends June 28; meals will be served Monday through Friday from 9 to 9:30 a.m. and from noon to 12:30 p.m.
• Rainbow Mennonite Church, 1444 Southwest Blvd. – Kids Cafe begins June 17 and ends July 26; meals will be served Monday through Friday from 8 to 8:30 a.m. and from noon to 1 p.m.