Food fuels learning.
Across the greater Peninsula, 1 in 5 (over 24,000) children are at risk of going to bed hungry. Hunger can affect a child’s ability to learn today and limit their future potential.
One of our signature childhood hunger initiatives is our Food for Kids BackPack Program.
The program’s mission is to break the cycle of hunger for children in low-income communities by providing nutritious, easy-to-carry foods that can be enjoyed at home over weekends and during extended school breaks.
Thanks to the generosity of our community, Virginia Peninsula Foodbank provides up to 1,500 food bags each week during the school year and up to 500 bags weekly throughout the summer.
After all, "a child cannot be hungry to learn if he or she is just plain hungry."
Goals to Nourish Growing Minds
- To promote the health of children by helping them understand the benefits of healthy eating and the importance of a proper diet.
- To maintain the capability to access and distribute nutritious food commodities through strategic purchasing.
- To continue expanding to meet the growing number of children at risk.
- To distribute food discreetly in easily accessible and safe environments.
“I don’t have the stress of where the next meal comes from. It’s been a big weight lifted off my shoulders, and I don’t want my kids to go without food.”