Hunger affects the way children learn and develop. In our area, a projected one in six children do not know where their next meal is coming from. Programs geared toward feeding children provide nourishment for growing bodies, and can become a way to educate entire families about the availability of food assistance.
During the weekend, many children go hungry without access to free or reduced-price school meals. That’s why nearly 2,000 children receive Sack Packs from the Chattanooga Area Food Bank each Friday across our region. Each sack contains basic, healthy food items—cereal, milk, juice, fruit, granola bars, soup, and even recipes—that will help sustain children through the weekend.
Mobile Pantries are held monthly at schools across our 20-county region. Each pantry serves an average of 350 children and each child receives a variety of healthy food items, including fresh produce. Our pantries emphasize nutrition and health, with the goal of increasing family access to healthy foods by way of their kids.