Hunger hurts, especially for children. And it isn’t just the physical pain of an empty tummy—hunger hurts a child’s mind too. Food-deprived children have a tough time focusing in school and often feel powerless, afraid and hopeless.

It’s heart-breaking that 1 in 5 children in our community is food-insecure. All too often, what little food they do have access to does not provide enough nutrition their developing bodies need. This unfulfilled basic necessity of life often results in compromised immune systems, child obesity and even early-onset Type 2 diabetes. But it doesn’t have to be this way!