Food For Kids

The Food for Kids program provides hungry children with food-filled backpacks that they can take home. The children can then share this food with their families. Our Food Banks supply food and backpacks to schools so that school staff and volunteers can send food home with children who aren’t getting enough to eat in the evenings and weekends.

This nutritious food comes in child-friendly small serving packages. Food packed into the backpacks is easy for children to prepare even if there is no adult at home who can help. Any staff member at the school can refer a child he or she feels is in need. School buses take care of distribution. The backpack itself removes the stigma a child might experience if he or she carried home a bag of groceries.

The Food for Kids menu was developed in conjunction with a dietician from the State of New Mexico Human Services Department. In addition to the nutritional value, the development of the menu also included special attention to what types of foods children would be inclined to eat. 

Fresh fruits that can survive the journey home in a backpack filled with cans are included. Schools only receive fresh fruit when there is enough available for all the kids. 

Food for Kids Facts

• Number of schools served last year: 53
• Number of students receiving food-filled backpacks: 3015
• Percent of students served who are eligible for free or reduced price school lunch: 100%
• Total Number of school-aged children in New Mexico: 368,383
• Total Number of children (K–12) in free/reduced-cost school lunch program: 221,025
• Percentage of children (K–12) in free/reduced-cost school lunch program: 58.75%
• Number of school lunches served every day: 190,622
• Number of free or reduced price lunches served every day: 143,901
• Total number of Title One, (Provision 2) low income schools: 311