Children's Hunger Initiative

Philadelphia has one of the highest child poverty rates in the US with 1 out of 3 children living at or below the federal poverty line *

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On any given night, more than 13 million children living in the United States go to bed hungry. Approximately 207,000 of these children live in the Delaware Valley. **

Hunger among children has ramifications that extend beyond poor nutrition. There is direct evidence that links family food insecurity to the behavior and academic performance of children.  Children who are food insecure demonstrate:

• Higher levels of aggression, hyperactivity, anxiety, and passivity
• Increase of illnesses
• Difficulty getting along with other children
• Increased need for mental health services
• Diminished capacity to learn
• Increased incidence of tardiness, absence, and suspension

The Children's Hunger Initiative (CHI) is designed to fight childhood hunger by helping low-income parents and the agencies who serve their children to address all the nutritional needs of children with heat-and-serve meals, meal ingredients, and snacks available five days per week.  This includes supporting existing successful programs and developing new ones based on identified needs. 

Children's Programs
Organizations offering child-care and after-school programs focus on keeping low-income children off the street and providing homework and tutoring assistance. Philabundance collaborates with these organizations to deliver food to keep the children nourished. 

Fresh Foundations
Philabundance began Fresh Foundations to lessen childhood hunger and malnutrition in the region. This program gives non-profit daycare and after school programs free weekly deliveries of fresh produce, bread and milk needed to establish the building blocks of healthy eating habits.

Fresh Foundations helps alleviate food costs for facilities serving meals to children at after school and daycare programs. The program provides the fresh ingredients needed to serve children balanced and nutritious meals. Through the support of the community, Philabundance delivered approximately 68,000 pounds of produce, bread and dairy to 20 programs serving children in low-income areas in 2006.

Hot Plate
This program is designed to produce and deliver free frozen heat-and-serve meals to agencies serving dinner to children in their community. Hot Plate helps smaller child-care and after school programs serving fewer than 30 children that do not qualify for federal reimbursement programs. The Philabundance Community Kitchen prepares these balanced meals consisting of an entree, starch, vegetable and dessert.

BabyManna
Every year Philabundance raises funds for infant formula and other essential baby products.  For over a decade, more than 250 area churches, synagogues and other organizations have collected money for baby Manna starting Mother’s Day weekend.  The funds are used to purchase infant formula and other products at deeply discounted rates.  Philabundance distributes the baby products within our network of more than 600 agencies that help children in need.

Partners
Under the umbrella of the Children's Hunger Initiative, Philabundance currently collaborates with The Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Nutritional Development Services (NDS) and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) federal reimbursement program.

Every month, the Children's Hunger Initiative supplies 31,000 nutritious meals and snacks to approximately 1,000 low-income children.

* The 2006 Philadelphia Grow Project participated in a study from the Children's Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program (C-Snap)

**According to the most recent U.S. Census Data

*** Center on Hunger and Poverty, Heller School for Social Policy and Management. The consequences of hunger and food insecurity for children. Brandies University (June 2002).

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