Happy holidays from No Kid Hungry Alabama! This holiday season, we are taking time to reflect on the last twelve months and the steps we have taken towards ending childhood hunger in Alabama. From Muscle Shoals to Mobile and all in between, there are school nutrition professionals, community members, and other supporters working to make sure every child gets the food they need to play, learn, and grow. Please join us on a trip down memory lane, celebrating some of our favorite highlights from 2024.
No Kid Hungry Alabama Grants
In 2024, No Kid Hungry Alabama granted $185,000 to 6 schools and 2 community organizations. These grant dollars helped to launch Breakfast After the Bell in new school districts and expand rural non-congregate summer meals. To read more about our grantees’ innovative approaches to improving food security, check out stories on our blog.
Hunger Heroes
In October, we celebrated 4 principals who are hunger heroes in their school communities- serving up not only nutritious meals but joy, comfort, and fun. We are so grateful to recognize and honor some of the many hunger heroes across Alabama! Read here.
Rural Non-Congregate Summer Meal Expansion
Summer meals haven’t been reaching all the children and young people who experience food insecurity. One of the greatest barriers towards summer meals participation, especially in rural areas, is transportation. Non-congregate models like grab & go, pick-up, or delivery allow children to eat at home and provide more flexibility and support to families. Summer 2024 was the second year that rural non-congregate models were available to summer meals sponsors in Alabama. No Kid Hungry Alabama supports summer meals sponsors through technical assistance, grant funds, and best practices research. You can read more about some of our summer success stories here.
Conclusion
Finally, we want to reiterate our thanks for you and your support. To our partners, policymakers, community organizations, school nutrition staff, state agencies, and other supporters, none of this work can be accomplished without our shared commitment to make No Kid Hungry a reality. Thank you for working tirelessly to ensure kids have the food they need to dream of a brighter and more caring future. We wish you a happy and healthy 2025!