Capital Area Food Bank » Kids Cafe

Partnership with Waterpenny Farm Provides Fresh Local Produce to Kids

Amy Hendricks — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:02:08 +0000

Every week, a representative from Waterpenny Farm in Rappahannock County delivers CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares to the Capital Area Food Bank’s Lorton Branch. In addition to the shares community members receive, shares are donated to the food bank. These shares provide varied, locally grown produce that greatly subsidizes the fresh produce ordinarily available at the CAFB. The northern Virginia Kids Cafe® program specifically benefits from this partnership and selects produce that is suitable to serve to youth in afterschool programs.

The children have benefitted recently from different types of lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, and herbs. We are excited to provide more locally grown produce to the children as the growing season continues! This produce reaches over 600 children throughout Arlington and Fairfax Counties and the City of Alexandria over the summer months.

The CAFB purchases some shares at reduced cost and receives additional shares through generous donations from other CSA members and Waterpenny Farm. We are grateful for this support in continuing our goal of sending more fresh produce to children and teens.

Mystery donor gives 362 pounds of food to NOVA Kids Cafe!

Kendra Rowe — Thu, 20 May 2010 12:02:41 +0000

Several days ago an anonymous donor brought 362 pounds – an entire cage full – of decorated snack bags for NOVA Kids Cafe sites! Each bag contained an assortment of goodies including water bottle, 100% juice box, fruit cup, nutri grain bar, and several other items.

We sent out 266 bags to 6 sites in Northern Virginia. NOVA Kids Cafe serves approximately 800 children weekly at 23 sites throughout the region. We appreciate this donation which will provide new snack items to the children and are thankful for such generous support from the community.

Dedicated drivers

Kendra Rowe — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:05:46 +0000

Neither snow nor icy roads kept our drivers from delivering their loads. Our two Food For Kids drivers had plenty of challenges last week after the region’s recent snowstorms left roads in poor condition and sidewalks blocked. Despite the demanding circumstances, our drivers know how important it is to get their deliveries out each week.

Because of their determination, all of our Kids Cafe® sites received the food they need to serve their afterschool meals and our Weekend Bag sites were able to replenish their supply of weekend bags to send home on Friday. Our partner sites truly appreciate the dedication and commitment that our drivers demonstrated last week!

Video footage taken by John Huber, Food For Kids Assistant

Kids Cafe® Opens 10 New Sites

Kendra Rowe — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:02:41 +0000

Last week, the Capital Area Food Bank’s Food For Kids Department had a wonderful opening celebration event to welcome our 10 new DC Kids Cafe® sites and to recognize some of the people who help make our work possible. The event was held at Little Lights Urban Ministries, one of the new sites in Ward 6. We also celebrated DC and MD’s recent acceptance into the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program’s supper pilot program, which means we will be able to receive reimbursements for the suppers we are serving at eligible sites.

The Event

Children sat coloring the food pyramid as donors, OSSE representatives, long-time volunteers, and advocacy partners from Feeding America and DC Hunger Solutions were welcomed in to the site.

We had four speakers at our event. Lynn spoke to the group about the importance of food and our work in the community. I spoke to the group about the ongoing goals of Kids Cafe. Steve Park spoke to the group about the children’s programs at Little Lights Urban Ministries and the impact that Kids Cafe will make at their site. Daniel Nestel discussed the volunteer projects his family leads at Beth El Temple and why he finds this work so important.

After the speakers, Jeff Poch led the children in a nutrition activity talking about the food groups. Then he and the children made guacamole and the salsa for tacos. The children enjoyed a dinner of bean and turkey tacos with lots of veggies on whole-wheat tortillas, a side of fruit salad, triscuits, and milk and juice.

Food for Kids During the Holidays

Kendra Rowe — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:00:25 +0000

The Food For Kids department partners with sites throughout our community making sure that children have enough food and proper nutrition at times when they are most at risk of hunger – after school, on weekends, during the summer and during the winter holidays. To help give the children we serve a great holiday season, we distributed fruit bags, filled with apples, pears, oranges and tangerines. We provided our Kids Cafe® sites with food and supplies for each to host a festive meal. And to help our Kids Cafe families that are most in need, we distributed 317 holiday meal boxes, each with enough food for a family of six – more than double the amount we provided last year! Together with our partners and in the spirit of the season, Food For Kids was able to have a great impact on the children in our community, helping each of them to experience a happy – and healthy – holiday season!