Kids' Food Basket

For 20 years, West Michigan has counted on Kids' Food Basket to be there when our kids and families need us most. We do not all start from the same place and much of our critical work stems from serious inequities within our communities. Consistent access to healthy food is key to breaking down barriers of poverty and building a stronger, brighter and healthier Michigan. We believe that access to good, healthy nourishing food should be a right, not a privilege. Equity work and anti-hunger work have always been emergencies yet require sustainable strategies and resources. Kids\u2019 Food Basket is committed to providing healthy food access and nutrition education for West Michigan children and families no matter what the future holds.

Equity and anti-hunger work have always been emergencies, and this continues to be true, particularly during a global pandemic When we look at West Michigan through the lens of race and ethnicity, income or ZIP code, we see great disparities even in the best of times. A crisis of this magnitude shines an additional light on these disparities. It is our intention, our plan, to continue this work. We will continue to pivot, evolve and adjust as needed, so that we can nourish our children and families to be their best. Our community can count on us, and as a community-funded organization, we are so humbled that we can count on the generous support of our community and volunteers. In response to the COVID-19, Kids' Food Basket developed a long-term strategy to ensure our continued work: Healthy Food School and Community Distribution: Through numerous partnerships, we are serving directly to schools that provide in-person learning, distribution sites that support virtual learning, community partner host sites, and directly to students homes through the school's breakfast and lunch delivery. In response to the current health crisis and as a result of our community's generosity during COVID-19, we have expanded our meal distribution to several additional schools, many of which were on our waiting list. Growth and Distribution of Nutrient-Dense Produce: Eating well is fundamental to good health and well-being. Nutrient-dense food positively builds our immune systems. We have learned through community listening sessions and surveys that fresh food access is a barrier for many of our families due to cost and/or lack of transportation. When you compound poverty and a global health crisis, it is no surprise fresh food is needed now more than ever. This year on our 10-acre, chemical-free farm we harvested over 107,000 servings of fresh produce for Sack Suppers evening meals and donated over 30,000 servings to our community partners to augment and enhance food selection for families. Youth and Family Nutrition Education: Through virtual and hands-on learning opportunities, we are collaborating with partners to inspire and educate children and their families.

Kids' Food Basket embodies diversity, equality and love, and we are a leader in community health. Many of our neighbors have not had equitable access to the economic stability, opportunities, and prosperity that many have enjoyed in West Michigan. A significant lack of access to good, nourishing food is one of the implications of living in poverty. Kids' Food Basket is a community-funded organization, meaning that we exist as a reflection of our community's generosity and values. Kids' Food Basket also partners with local nonprofits and other community organizations to serve under-resourced communities. We also host critical conversations via video and podcasts with thought leaders on topics such as: community health, housing, education and nutritional literacy to move the needle towards a more equitable future. Through the use of our 10-acre, chemical-free and sustainable urban farm and experiential learning program, we connect children to the origins of their food where it comes from and how it is grown. Together with our community partners, we are strengthening our direct response to childhood hunger and ensuring long-term impact through daily nourishment and education.

Kids' Food Basket has grown from serving 125 students in three schools in Grand Rapids, to now serving thousands of students and families who are facing food insecurity daily across four counties. In March 2020, when schools closed due to the COVID-19 crisis, Kids' Food Basket immediately pivoted and responded with an emergency food provision strategy. Since that time, over hundreds of thousands of healthy emergency meals have been served to 70 distribution sites throughout the pandemic in the four counties that we serve (Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa and Allegan). The catalyst of our COVID-19 emergency response is our new permanent headquarters in Kent County. With an increased capacity comes a greater opportunity to nourish children to reach their full potential. Our new facility allows us to make long-term impact while establishing our roots to engage with West Michigan communities. In addition, Kids' Food Basket has secured a permanent location in Holland to expand our program and services in Ottawa and Allegan counties. The newly renovated facility allows us to grow our impact and serve more schools as currently we are only meeting 10% of the need in Ottawa and Allegan counties.