Childhood hunger is a hidden epidemic in America, with 1 in 3 children in Larimer County meeting the criteria for food insecurity. A quickly rising cost of living has narrowed the financial safety margin for many families, where just one large unexpected expense can cause a financial crisis. While there is a safety net of food resources in our country, over 30% of individuals experiencing need will not qualify for those benefits.
Colorado has created a safe haven in our schools, but the weekends and summers continue to be a time of need for too many youth in our local community. Currently, KidsPak serves with 3 separate programs to address stress points in the current food safety net.
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The Weekend Food Bag program is the most visible of KidsPak's initiatives. Community groups come together to pack these bags by the hundreds, and then our dedicated delivery volunteers distribute them to each school and partner on Wednesday mornings during the school year. KidsPak averaged over 600 bags per week in the 2023-24 school year. These bags are sometimes referred to as "backpack bags" and are meant to be discreetly tucked into the youth's backpack on Friday, providing supplemental food for a worry-free weekend.
The goal of this program is to increase learning outcomes. Studies show that hungry brains don't function the same. They have lower attention spans, have more issues with behavior regulation, and do not retain information when compared to a well-nourished brain.
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Families have told us how increasing grocery costs are impacting their bottom line. The most difficult time of year for grocery costs is summer time! The large safety net provided in our schools is not available for most during this time. The Food Bank for Larimer County and Thompson School District both provide hot lunches at specified sites during the summer, but KidsPak is able to assist with supplementing groceries. Depending on the partner, we offer both weekly bags and monthly bags to be distributed.
The goal of this program is to provide food to food insecure youth during a high needs time period for families. KidsPak is working hard to meet the needs of food-insecure youth in the places they are already going, relieving families of the need to arrange transportation to yet another location to get this help.
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This is the newest program at KidsPak and is currently available at Mountain View High School. It is designed to provide for the unique food preferences of an older youth population, and a delivery method where privacy and dignity are high priorities. The youth can access a list of available pantry items on a website. They place their "order" using an anonymous username, then they can discreetly pick up those bags at the time of their choosing.
The goal of this program is to increase access to KidsPak services for older youth. This program has been tested at Mountain View High School and is ready to be expanded in the coming year, including community partners that serve tweens and teens.
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At KidsPak, we know that kids shouldn't be hungry, and hungry kids can't learn. When we raise up our youth, we raise up our entire community. To join us in supporting food-insecure youth, you can donate or volunteer.
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