Afterschool Meal Program

Afterschool Meal Program Key Messages

·         The Y is offering an Afterschool Meal Program that provides children with learning enrichment activities, as well as nutritious meals and/or snacks in order to be healthy and succeed in school.

 

o    Through the Afterschool Meal Program, available at nearly 1,300 locations nationwide,  the Y is addressing hunger in communities by ensuring children have access to meals during out-of-school time, when they’re most at risk of going hungry.

o    The program provides learning enrichment activities and physical activity to keep minds and bodies active, while also serving healthy meals and/or snacks.

o    Thanks to generous support from the Walmart Foundation, the Y is better able to get important nutrition to kids in need.

 

·         When the school bell rings, many children are faced with hunger and do not know where their next meal will come from. The Y’s Afterschool Meal Program keeps kids well-nourished.

 

o    The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that nearly 50 million Americans – including more than 16 million children and teens younger than 18 – live with food insecurity.  

o    Children from low-income families are eligible to receive free or reduced-cost meals at school, but when the school day ends many of these children don’t know where their next meal will come from.

o    The Y will serve more children through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which feeds school-aged children during the week, on weekends and during school vacations.

 

·         The Y is dedicated to ensuring that kids in our communities have access to regular nutrition all year long.

 

o    The Y’s Afterschool Meal Program is part of a year-round effort to address child hunger. During the summer, the Y offered a Summer Food Program at more than 1,100 locations to keep youth healthy, active and well-nourished. The Y’s year-round goal is to serve 8 million healthy meals and snacks to 200,000 kids and teens.

o    Ys nationwide are providing healthy environments by incorporating healthy eating and physical activity standards into early childcare and afterschool programs.

o    As part of a long-time commitment to youth development, the Y nurtures the physical, mental and social-emotional development of youth.