Got Supper?

Fighting Hunger through the At-Risk Afterschool Meals Program

We all know kids are hungry after school (school lunch can be as early as 11:00am!). Some children come home from school to empty fridges and cupboards because parents struggling to make ends meet may not be able to afford food.  Almost 1 in 5 (112,663) of Connecticut's school children participate in afterschool programs. While many programs offer a snack it is often not enough, especially when these afterschool programs end late in the evening with no meal waiting at home.

Recently, Connecticut became eligible to provide full meals ("suppers") to students 18 and under enrolled in an afterschool enrichment program. This is provided by the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) through federal funds. 

Afterschool supper participants benefit from more than nutrition; suppers can decrease behavioral problems in afterschool programs and can increase focus on enrichment activities.

Currently in Connecticut, only 7 out of 34 eligible towns are offering this opportunity to their students. End Hunger CT!/CT No Kid Hungry Campaign is working with the CT State Department of Education to increase the awareness and availability of this program, to ultimately  ensure that no child goes hungry during out-of-school time.

To find out if your afterschool program or school is eligible to serve suppers, please contact Shannon Robins at srobins@endhungerct.org.

Reposted from our friends at EndHungerConnecticut!