The Children’s Lunchbox

The Children's Lunchbox

About The Children's Lunchbox

The Children’s Lunchbox originated with a dedicated emphasis on enhancing child nutrition and addressing food security concerns. Over time, our mission has expanded to support entire families, broadening our impact. We offer a diverse range of nourishing options, including fresh and non-perishable meals packed in pantry boxes. These boxes are distributed through local community programs tailored to serve both children and families. Our prepared meals are delivered to partner sites, ensuring that the essential nutritional support reaches those who need it most. Each pantry box provides a breakfast, lunch, or dinner meal for a family of four and is given out in multiples to feed the whole family.

Schools and Special Programs Provided Meals & Pantry Packs

CITC & CITC Schoolyard- enrolled students only
Ridgeline Terrace- enrolled only
Hmoob Cultural Center- enrolled only
Safe Harbor- enrolled students only
Power Youth Center- enrolled students only
Chinook Elementary School
Sand lake Elementary School
North Star Elementary School
Williwaw Elementary School
Mountain View Elementary School
Northwood Elementary School
Lake Otis Elementary School
Fairview Elementary School
Muldoon Elementary School
Anchorage School District Education Center

Anchorage Pantry Pack Distribution Locations

Lighthouse Christian Fellowship Church, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 3:00–3:45 pm – 629 Hollywood Drive
Loussac Place Housing (NOT Loussac Library), Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 3:00–4:15 pm – 200 W 20th Ave
Spenard Rec Center, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 3:00–3:45 pm – 2020 W. 48th Ave.
Fairview Rec Center, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 4:00–4:45 pm – 1121 E. 10th (in back of building)
Penland Park Trailer Park, Thursdays 2:30 – 4:00 pm – 3240 Penland Pkwy #1

The Children's Lunchbox Facts

1 in 8 children face hunger

6,811 average Children's Lunchbox meals prepared monthly

Services over 16 schools/programs

The Children's Lunchbox History

1998

Kid's Cafe

In 1998 Kid’s Cafe, a non-profit organization feeding at-risk children in the Anchorage area, was in search of a stable, responsible board of directors. Bean’s Cafe immediately realized that its mission of feeding the hungry should extend to the children of our community. Bean’s Cafe board members realized that many of the poorest children in our community are at risk of not having their daily nutritional needs met. This sparked a vision of “prevention” and Kids Cafe became a program of Bean’s Cafe.

2004

The Children's Lunchbox

In 2004, Bean's Cafe renamed Kid's Cafe to The Children’s Lunchbox. What began as a delivery of a few hundred meals a month to several programs quickly transformed into the provision of a few hundred meals a day.

2023

TCL Expands

The addition of summer food programs as well as weekend food and pantry programs has only strengthened our work to ensure no child is hungry. The need continues to grow; as of October 2023, The Children's Lunchbox has provided over 415,000 meals to hungry children and families in Anchorage.