Arizona nonprofit A New Leaf provides free meals to children in need
PHOENIX - Rising grocery prices and recent cuts to SNAP benefits are leaving many Arizona families struggling to put food on the table. One Arizona nonprofit is stepping up to ensure the state's youngest and most vulnerable get the nutrition they need.
Why you should care:
Anyone who has been around a hungry child will tell you it is not pretty.
"They’re gonna feel like all the emotions at once and [don’t] know what to do with it," said Lacey Kindermann.
But their diet affects more than just their mood.
"When kids are 0 to 5, that’s the most impressionable time," said Tanner Swanson, marketing director for A New Leaf. "It’s where nutrition can affect their health for the rest of their life."
What we know:
That is why A New Leaf, an Arizona nonprofit that provides services for families dealing with everything from homelessness to domestic violence, is integrating the federally funded Child and Adult Care Food Program into its early childhood learning and family support centers to provide healthy meals to children in need.
"We are serving free and reduced meals for kids who come from households that might be dealing with some food insecurity, and we consider it our job to make sure that that those kids get fed," Swanson said.
What Kids Receive:
Lacey Kindermann, a lead teacher with New Leaf, says the toddlers she works with get a variety of nutritious meals through the program.
"There’s melons, there’s strawberries, blueberries, apples…" Kindermann said. "Today we’re having turkey and cheese sandwiches."
And it is one less thing for their parents to worry about.
"They know that the kids are having breakfast and lunch and a snack, and they don’t have to worry about that as much during the week," Kindermann said.
Big picture view:
With cuts to things like SNAP benefits, staff say they are seeing an influx of Arizona families struggling to make ends meet.
"A lot of families are really feeling the crunch and that’s not even factoring in price of groceries, gas, all of those additional expenses," Swanson said.
Dig deeper:
So feeding these children has never been more important.
"Making sure that they get the food that they need to stay healthy, learn, grow, is crucial," Swanson said.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Lacey Kindermann, lead teacher; and Tanner Swanson, marketing director for A New Leaf.