Programs

The Children’s Lunchbox served over 1,850 children in 2011 a total of more than 100,000 meals – an increase of more than 14% since 2010!

In our prepared meals program (school year), we provide more than 430 students with a healthy lunch and/or afterschool meal each day. The majority of our meals are delivered to sites where children don’t have the ability to access community centers. In addition to those deliveries, and thanks to our outstanding partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs, we staff and operate two commercial kitchens in community centers where more than 70% of the local population is considered “at risk” of not having their daily nutritional needs met.

In our prepared meals program (summer), we provide more than 700 Anchorage and MatSu valley youth with a healthy lunch and/or dinner each weekday all summer long. We prepare and provide meals at numerous community locations such as Goose Lake Park, Boys & Girls clubs and Campfire sites. This effort is substantially funded through the USDA Summer Food Service Program. Strengthening child nutrition programs provides an immediate and direct way to reduce child hunger and improve health and educational outcomes.

Our “Just a Little Extra” weekend food program is now three years strong! This program directly assists children by giving them food assistance for the weekend-allowing many children a better opportunity to come to school on Monday focused and ready to learn. More than 66,000 meals were provided to students at Mt. View Elementary and Ptarmigan Elementary last school year and, with the addition of Klatt Elementary and Creekside Elementary, over 150,000 meals have been distributed to students during the 2011/2012 school year to help supplement their weekend meals. As you know, kids that are well fed do better in school, are more likely to finish high school and have a chance to be healthier throughout their lives.

The success of The Children’s Lunchbox is due in great part to our outstanding school and business partnerships. Bartlett High School as well as the ACE/Act program has provided us with a “staging area” for our weekend food assembly. Their special needs students use this site as a job training opportunity and as part of their “life skills” credits, they work in our facility to assist with assembly of weekend food bags for youth in our schools. We have partnered with the Alzheimer’s Institute and Day Break (Adult Day-car facility) whereby their clients also assist with assembly of weekend food bags. We have many business partnerships with ASD, Campfire, and Boys & Girls clubs.

PROGRAM GROWTH

The Children’s Lunchbox has the capacity to increase the number of meals being made and delivered during the school year. In addition, our skilled staff is trained to work with volunteers so we may increase the number of kids we feed while keeping the costs down ~ without jeopardizing the quality.

New programs are added or expanded as funding becomes available. Normally, there will be a “pilot” program to work through logistics, increase awareness of the program and receive additional funding through grants and donations.