Communities In Schools of Spokane County and Second Harvest Inland Northwest have joined forces to launch a Kids Cafe that provides healthy food to children who attend Cheney Middle School’s after-school programs.
Kids Cafe programs provide free meals and snacks to low-income children through a variety of community locations where children already congregate—such as Boys and Girls Clubs, churches or public schools. In addition to providing meals to kids, some Kids Cafe programs also offer a safe place, where under the supervision of trustworthy staff, a child can get involved in educational, recreational and social activities.
Says Ben Stuckart, executive director,“We are dedicated to bring the right resources to the right kids at the right time. When food insecurity issues came up, we contacted 2nd Harvest. We did not expect they would open the first school-based Kids Café in Washington State at one of our locations, but were thrilled they did. This is how community partnerships should develop in our community– like-minded organizations collaborating to find a solution that benefits all children.”
Well said and congratulations! May this be just the first Kids Cafe in Washington.