Food for Kids
Totes of Hope™ and Summer and After-School Meals (SFSP and CACFP)
Food for Kids
In fiscal year 2023, Food Bank of the Rockies served more than 77,500 kids in our service areas throughout about half of Colorado and all of Wyoming. Food Bank of the Rockies’ Food for Kids programs, Totes of Hope™ and summer and after-school meals provided through the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), are specifically dedicated to ensuring every kid has enough to eat at all times, giving them a chance to embrace their childhood without worrying about food.
Food for Kids by the Numbers in Fiscal Year 2023
“I have three siblings and the food helps us make meals together at home. My sister goes to school here, too, and we both get a tote so we can make enough for all of us. We love the food!”
Aleen – Student at a Denver Public School
“We try to make sure we’re sending kids home with enough food for their whole family. A lot of people need food right now, and I feel it is our ethical obligation to help feed them.”
Sandy – Totes of Hope™ coordinator at a Denver Public School
FAQs
Each bag contains approximately 7-9 pounds of shelf-stable, nutritious food—enough for about seven meals. Also included are recipes featuring ingredients in the bag.
Summer and after-school meals include nutritious, single-servings of grains, vegetables, fruit, and protein that are prepared and safely sealed in Food Bank of the Rockies’ commercial kitchen.
To find food near you, visit our Find Food locator at https://www.foodbankrockies.org/find-food/.
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a federally funded, state-administered program that reimburses program operators who serve free healthy meals and snacks to children and teens in low-income areas.
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federally funded, state-administered program that provides reimbursements for nutritious meals and snacks purchased to serve to eligible children and adults who are enrolled for care at participating child care centers, home day care centers, and adult day-care centers; participating in after-school care programs; children residing in emergency shelters; and income-qualifying adults over the age of 60.
Totes of Hope™ is a Food Bank of the Rockies signature program funded directly through donations.
Sites for Totes of Hope™, summer (SFSP), and after-school (CACFP) meals are largely chosen through two avenues: One is via recruitment, outreach, and community input; another is via direct applications by schools, rec centers, after-school clubs, libraries, church groups, etc. who have children in need of nutritious meals.
We are always looking for new sites! If you are interested in becoming a CACFP partner, apply here. If you are interested in becoming a Totes of Hope™ or SFSP partner, apply here. (Please note that SFSP applications are only accepted between January and May.)
Preferably, sites for all programs will serve a community where at least 50% of students qualify for free and reduced meals. Please contact FFK@foodbankrockies.org with any questions.
After-school meals (CACFP) are provided to sites hosting after-school programs with enrichment activities. They are distributed to kids who partake in these programs and are eaten on site.
Summer meals (SFSP) can be served at sites that are open to the public or via programs requiring enrollment, preferably in a neighborhood with at least a 50% free and reduced meal rate among area students. Site examples include community centers, libraries, day camps, apartment complexes, religious organizations, etc.
Totes of Hope™ sites can be any space in the community where kids are in need of food. Preferably, sites will request and distribute a minimum of 20 totes per site. Sites are responsible for providing their own bags in which to pack food at their site.
All food provided by CACFP, SFSP, and Totes of Hope™ must be served at no cost to participants.
We are always looking for new sites! If you are interested in becoming a CACFP partner, apply here. If you are interested in becoming a Totes of Hope™ or SFSP partner, apply here. (Please note that SFSP applications are only accepted between January and May.)
1 in 9 children in Colorado and 1 in 8 children in Wyoming are at risk of food insecurity. Food for Kids programs provide much-needed stable, nutritious meals and snacks to kids experiencing hunger, freeing them to focus on growth and learning rather than worrying about where their next meal will come from.
Children aged 18 years and younger are able to receive food from any of these programs. More specifically:
- Totes of Hope™: Any child at a participating Totes of Hope™ partner site
- After-school meals (CACFP): Any child attending an after-school program partnering with Food Bank of the Rockies for the program
- Summer meals (SFSP): Site dependent. If the site is open to public, any child aged 18 and younger qualifies. If the site requires enrollment for its programs, children aged 18 and younger must be enrolled to receive meals.
We are always looking for new sites! If you are interested in becoming a CACFP partner, apply here. If you are interested in becoming a Totes of Hope™ partner, apply here. If you are interested in becoming a SFSP partner, apply here. (Please note that SFSP applications are only accepted between January and May.)
Please contact FFK@foodbankrockies.org with any questions.
Currently there are no income qualifications for any of these programs.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact FFK@foodbankrockies.org
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