Contributed by Lynette Ortolano, Kids Kupboard
Since Kids Kupboards’ launch, we’ve connected kids struggling with hunger with more than 160,000 additional meals. How did we do it? By working with our incredible partners and investing in practical solutions to end hunger.
We’re feeding more kids every day, making sure they have the food they need to learn and grow. We continue to advocate for breakthrough policy changes to feed more children, and we’re finding new ways to reach kids with meals everywhere across the MatSu Borough all year long. Once in place, our programs deliver beyond their initial focus of the alleviation of hunger. In addition to providing a nutritional foundation, they purport to improve children’s learning, model good nutrition and relieve family stress for a wide catchment of children.
In 2017 so far, Kids Kupboard has provided just over 70,000 meals to children in our communities from Sutton to Trapper Creek and Eagle River. Our program operates at 22 safe community sites assisting 1,000+ children daily during the summer and hundreds more all school year long. Our services are realized through the dedication, compassion and hard work of a most remarkable group of individuals and organizations, from professional staff to hundreds of amazing volunteers. Our partner organizations with the City of Wasilla, Boys and Girls Clubs, the Mat-Su School District, Denali Family Services, the Co-occurring Disorders Institute, Mat-Su Health Services and the Mat-Su Borough, among others, are invaluable in helping us meet the nutritional needs of the youth of our communities.
In the MatSu today, 6,000+ of our students are living in poverty. Consequently, one in six of our kids is facing greater obstacles to reaching their fullest potential. The future of Alaska lies in our children. When hunger threatens the future of a child, it threatens the future of our community as well. Although food insecurity is harmful to any individual, it can be particularly devastating among children, due to their increased vulnerability and the potential for long-term consequences.
Kids Kupboard is thrilled to be launching two new facilities, which will give so many more children access to fresh, healthy meals year round!
Big thanks to:
• The Mat-Su Health Foundation for their award of a Healthy Impact Grant
• Alaska Custom Containers - Mike Kish and his crew are modifying two 40' connex containers into commercial kitchen space, as well as eat-in areas, and they’ve offered up their property in Big Lake for placement of one our feeding facilities.
• Mayor Cottle, for approving our request to be located at Nunley Park in Wasilla
• Mokie Tew, who generously donated his service to prepare the ground at Nunley Park, as well as hook us into city water/sewer – a savings of thousands of dollars!
This is truly a partner-rich project!
Children will be able to come inside each weekday after school and for lunch all summer long to enjoy a hot, healthy meal with us! We're hoping to begin service at both of these new locations in October!
There are hungry children in our own backyards, and we all have the power to feed them. Kids Kupboard is a true non-profit organization that’s dedicated to feeding hungry children in the Valley.
