For children, healthy dietary patterns can shape lifelong food preferences and support their physical, cognitive and emotional growth and development.

Children who do not have adequate access to food face higher risks of health conditions such as anemia and asthma, and are more likely to be hospitalized. They often struggle with social and behavioral problems without proper nutrition, they have less energy for complex social interactions, cannot effectively adapt to environmental stress and often feel physically unwell.

Workers who experienced childhood food insecurity often face physical, mental, emotional and social disadvantages to performing effectively on the job. With its devastating effects, child food insecurity in the U.S. threatens the talent, skill and efficiency of a large portion (currently 32,150 people) of the tri-state’s future workforce. We aim to achieve food security for children and their families. Working together with people facing hunger, we can help improve systems that drive inequality and advocate for communities experiencing disproportionate rates of food insecurity, which includes children.