School Meals
Hungry kids can’t learn.
That’s why we work to expand access to healthy meals for kids in school.
Our recent work includes:
- Distributed $1.3 million in grants to 42 public school districts and public charter schools across North Carolina to expand access to healthy school breakfast, through the NC Innovative School Breakfast Grants in partnership with the Office of the Governor and the NC Alliance for Health.
- Co-leading the School Meals for All NC coalition.
SUN Programs (Summer Nutrition for Kids)
Summer can be the hungriest time of year for kids who rely on school for their nutrition.
That’s why we work to expand the sites offering free meals for kids and teens in the summer, capture innovative best practices for serving meals in rural areas, and spread the word to families about summer resources.
Our recent work includes:
- Partnering with the NC Department of Health and Human Services to inform education stakeholders about the new SUN Bucks program.
- Partnering with the NC Department of Public Instruction to create a brand and website for the SummerMeals4NCKids program.
- Partnering with No Kid Hungry to support non-congregate meal sponsors with grants and interns, and maintain meal finder tools that make it easy for families to find healthy food in the summer.
Nutrition Education
Everyone should know how to prepare affordable meals and make healthy food choices.
That’s why nutrition education is a huge focus of our work.
Our recent work includes:
- Teaching nutrition and cooking classes year-round, including in-person afterschool lessons for elementary schoolers, online series for adults and families, and nutrition-focused enrichment activities at summer meal sites.
- Creating hundreds of original nutrition resources, including recipes, videos, activity handouts, and online games. Explore our collection of free nutrition education resources.
SNAP Outreach
More than 22% of college undergraduates experience food insecurity. But more than half of college students who are eligible for SNAP food assistance are not enrolled.
That’s why we are working on a new SNAP outreach campaign with North Carolina’s first college-focused information. Look for more information about this exciting project in fall 2024.
Data Profiles
Understanding the hunger problem in North Carolina requires understanding the numbers.
That’s why we use data from the NC Department of Public Instruction to create annual data profiles for child nutrition programs, creating pictures of how new programs are benefiting the health and economies of local communities.
NC Child Hunger Leaders Conference
When it comes to making sure kids have the nutrition they need to thrive, no one can do it alone.
That’s why we convene hundreds of champions every year to share victories and challenges at the NC Child Hunger Leaders Conference.
The 13th annual day of celebration and inspiration took place in February 2024. See videos and materials from past events and stay tuned for information about future conferences.
And More
Are you part of our next big project? Get in touch.
More stories of our work:
- COVID-19 Response – Including connecting more than 1.6 million meals to the homes of children in 20 NC rural districts through the Emergency Meals-to-You program.
- Blue Cross Child Hunger Impact Project – 52 school districts and community organizations received funding to support their meal programs for kids.
- 2023 Year in Review
- 2022 Year in Review