Kids Cafe is the nation’s largest charitable meal service program exclusively for needy children. It is a program of Feeding America and sponsored nationally by ConAgra Foods’ Feeding Children Better Foundation. There are more than 1,700 Kids Cafes in the nation, the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley is currently working on it's 5th Kids Cafe, which will be located at The Boys and Girls Club of San Benito at 410 N. Stooky Road. A Grande Opening is slated for February 18, 2009 at 3:30 pm.

Kids Cafe is a program of Feeding America and was adopted as a national initiative to focus on and channel national and local resources to 38 percent of the people we serve as a network---hungry children.  Currently, Kids Cafe is one of the nation’s largest charitable meal service programs, providing free and prepared food and nutrition education to hungry children.             

The intent of this program is to feed hungry children in specific ways and within specific environments.  This is done to address the complexity of child hunger, knowing that:

1. Nutrition is a critical factor in a hungry child’s long-term development

2. The fact of feeding hungry children in a safe environment removes many barriers  that can prevent children from gaining access to free, nutritious food within child-centered spaces or programs.

    * Provide nutritious meals to children in need
    * Supplement meals with nutrition education activities
    * Locate these sites within easy access to the children being served
    * Support socialization activities in family-style environments
    * Conduct these activities in safe and secure sites, under supervision of
       trustworthy staff
    * Involve additional resources, programs, partners, families, and others
      in order to assure sustainability of the Kids Cafe is established.