Second Harvest operating 50 Kids Cafe sites during 2010-11 school year

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Second Harvest North Florida Kids Cafe Program will operate 50 sites during the 2010-11 school year as part of the Afterschool Snack Program, a subcomponent of the Child Care Food Program provided through the Florida Department of Health. The Kids Cafe sites offer low-income children in their neighborhoods a safe place to find nourishment, have positive role-models and participate in educational and social development activities. The program is designed to provide nutritious snacks to children at no separate charge.

The programs serving children in 2010-11 are:

Kids Cafe is a program of Feeding America and was founded in 1989 to help fight childhood hunger. Even mild levels of malnutrition can impair a child's ability to learn. For school children, missing meals diminishes the ability to recall and use newly acquired information, verbal fluency, and control of attention, all of which have a negative impact on a child's ability to learn, decrease self-esteem, and contribute to performance problems.

Kids Cafe works through donated and purchased foods and supplies. Staff and volunteers assist with homework and other planned activities.

Second Harvest North Florida provides more than 10,000 nutritious meals and after-school snacks to children during the week while schools are in session.

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy, all institutions that participate in the Child Care Food Program are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 or (202) 720-6382 (TTY).