Kids Cafe
Many children anxiously anticipate the last school bell of the day. The sound signals that it's time to go home - to an afternoon snack, a board game with friends or siblings, a warm home-cooked meal, and homework help from Mom or Dad. In these difficult times, an alarming percentage of Maine children are hearing that very same bell knowing they will be going home to an empty house and will have to try to prepare a meal from next to nothing for themselves and their younger brothers and sisters too. But it doesn't have to be that way.
Good Shepherd Food Bank has launched a pilot partnership with Mission Possible Teen Center to open up Maine's first Kids Cafe. The program not only provides kids with nutritious dinners every day after school, but also a safe place with adult supervision, so they can work on homework, learn about healthy life choices and nutrition, explore new interests, or just hang out with friends in a wholesome environment.
Meals at Kids Cafe sites include a variety of highly nutritious, kid friendly favorites provided by the Food Bank. Some examples include all natural sweet potato fries, whole grain Mac and Cheese, lean turkey burgers, and 100% fruit juices. The Food Bank works with the site where local children already congregate to provide healthier, more consistent meals and monthly nutrition education so that the children are able to grow and flourish, and the afterschool program staff can focus on homework help, enrichment activities, and outreach to the kids that need them most.
We are currently reaching 40 teens per night, and hope to replicate this partnership in high risk communities throughout the state.
The Kids Cafe at Mission Possible Teen Center is made possible through the generosity of Shaw's Supermarkets. For more information, please contact Shannon Coffin at (207) 782-3554 ext. 1163 or scoffin@gsfb.org.
Special thanks to our Kids Cafe sponsor:
