Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank's Child Hunger Hero Award helps kids in our area | KD Sunday Spotlight
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank said that child food insecurity is up 33% from last year in Western Pennsylvania.
In today's Sunday Spotlight, I'll show you how they're working to make sure that kids in our area getting fed.
Kelsey Gross with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank said that too many kids are going to bed worried about where their next meal will come from.
"One in six kids in our area are considered food insecure, meaning they do not have enough access to the food that they need to thrive on a consistent basis," she explained.
The food bank works with community sponsors and schools to get those kids fed through the Child Hunger Hero Award Program.
"We just published our Child Hunger Hero Award light and that is our way to recognize all of the food service professionals who are going above and beyond to serve kids all year long," Gross said.
Above and beyond - by making sure kids can eat even when they are not in the building. The award celebrates schools that provide healthy meals after school, on the weekends, and over the summer.
"We've served more meals than ever this past year and we don't anticipate the need going down any further over the next year," she said.
Gross said the goal is to put all kids on an equal playing field.
"The work that we do and the work that our partners do really gives kids an even keel to start on, to make sure that they have all the nutrition that they need to be able to pay attention in class and play soccer after class and do all the things that kids are supposed to do," Gross explained.
With food insecurity growing every year, they're hoping to roll out more programs to help the kids in our region the food that they need.
You can support the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and the work that they do for kids in Western Pennsylvania by heading to their website.
