Providing Food for Hungry Children

3/24/2015
Mission Statement
Providing Food for Hungry Children
The Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago’s food bank, is a
nonprofit food distribution and training center with the mission
of providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger
in our community.
Amy Laboy Director of Programs and Services
National Anti‐Hunger Policy Conference, Washington, D.C.
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Key Facts About the Greater Chicago Food Depository
The Food Depository’s Dual Role in CACFP
 650 pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, mobile programs, children’s programs, older
adult programs and innovative responses that address the root causes of hunger.
 Sponsor & food vendor for the Kids Cafe after-school program.
 The Food Depository serves more than 812,000 individuals – 1 in 6 – every year in
Cook County.
 55 Kids Cafes operating in Cook County.
 More than 2,300 meals distributed per day.
 The Food Depository distributed 67 million pounds of food last year.
 39 percent of households served by the Food Depository include at least one child
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As a CACFP Food Vendor, the Food Depository…
As a CACFP Sponsor, the Food Depository…
 Manages ongoing relationships with existing sites to ensure high quality food
programming
 Prepares meals through Chicago’s Community Kitchens, the Food
 Conducts annual trainings and provides technical assistance for sites throughout the
Depository’s 14-week foodservice training program for unemployed and
program year
underemployed adults
 Recruits new sites to participate in the program
 Delivers both hot and cold meals to Kids Cafe sites daily
 Conducts reviews at all sites to ensure they are in compliance with all USDA rules
 Focuses on providing high-quality, nutritious meals
and regulations
 Processes and submits monthly claims to the Illinois State Board of Education
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3/24/2015
A Focus on Nutrition
Successes and Challenges
•Successes:
 Kids Cafe meals are made from scratch, no trans fat, MSG or glutamate
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 Kids Cafe meals always include fresh produce & 1% milk
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 No chocolate milk
 Whole grain pasta, brown rice and whole grains are used
Increasing access to healthy nutritious meals for children in high need
communities throughout Cook County
Creating strong partnerships with existing CACFP sites to ensure meals are
provided year-round (participation in both CACFP and SFSP)
•Challenges:
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 Strict limited use of products with high fructose corn syrup
Creating meals that are both nutritious and kid friendly
Increasing the capacity of sites to transition to providing hot meals
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Other Children’s Programs
 Healthy Kids Market
Thank you
 Lunch Bus (Part of the Summer Food Service Program)
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