NTFB Documents FY15 Annual Report | Page 10

Child Programs In FY 2015, NTFB began a partnership with Brighter Bites, a Texas-based nonprofit, to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables, along with nutrition education and recipes, directly to kids in need. With the help of committed parent-volunteers and community members, NTFB provided students at selected schools with 30 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables each week during 24 weeks in the school year. In addition, Brighter Bites participants took part in nutrition lessons, received nutrition-education handbooks for parents, and tasted sample recipes using the foods they received. Families shared that the program helped stretch their weekly grocery budget and encouraged them to prepare produce in new ways. In addition to Brighter Bites, the Food Bank’s other Child Programs made further progress: Through our School Pantry program, NTFB partnered with five schools to distribute more than 490,000 meals to students and their families. Additionally, the Food 4 Kids program distributed backpacks full of nutritious and kid-friendly food to more than 12,000 children every Friday during the school year. Through a partnership with the Mayor of Plano and community supporters, Food 4 Kids expanded to serve some 1,400 children in need in that community. NTFB’s Kids Cafe program provided prepared meals to thousands of children through after-school and summer programs. In fact, NTFB was named a Gold Sponsor of the Summer Food Service Program by the Texas Hunger Institute for our work to distribute prepared meals during the summer break, when children are out of school and families often find themselves most in need of nutrition assistance.