Feed the Gap, in partnership with the Boise School District, is working to eliminate child hunger in their schools by feeding hungry children. These children do not qualify, or have not yet applied for free or reduced price breakfast and lunch meals through the USDA Child Nutrition Programs. Yet these children are hungry. Generally these children belong to the growing numbers of “The Working Poor” in America. Idaho has one of the largest percentages of people making minimum wage in the United States.** The parents are working but there is not enough money to meet the most basic of needs–food.
These children in need, who are quietly identified by the Principals, Counselors and Teachers, are provided free breakfast and lunch from Feed the Gap. The Boise School District tracks the number of meals and then invoices our organization for the costs. Counselors and Principals follow-up with parents of recurring “subsidized- meal- children” to offer alternatives and support for these “working poor” families that are under-served or don’t qualify for free federal meal programs.
Feed the Gap is impressed with the Boise School District’s direct delivery of food to these children, and their compassionate and professional process.
Feed the Gap believes that every child in an Idaho school can and should be fed breakfast and lunch. This is our first phase of a three- phase plan to end child hunger in Idaho.
Our Three-Phase Strategy to End Child Hunger in Idaho:
Feeding breakfast and lunch to hungry children in Idaho schools
Supporting school food pantries for weekend food
Helping Idaho communities create Summer Feeding Programs
We believe this Plan will help take a “big bite out of the problem” of child hunger in Idaho.
Child Hunger Facts
96,090 children in Idaho are food insecure*
One-third of these children, 32,000, are income ineligible for federal nutrition assistance*
That is 23% of Idaho’s children who are food insecure; up from 22.8% last year*
Ada County has the most food insecure children in Idaho with more than 18,200 children living in food-insecure homes.*
Minimum wage in Idaho $7.25 USD per hour**
*Feeding America
