Aug. 20, 2024 – The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is seeking applications for new Kids Café Program sites to provide free meals and snacks at afterschool programs and during school breaks.

“The Kids Café Program is an important hunger fighting tool across the Regional Food Bank’s service area,” said Stacy Dykstra, chief executive officer of the Regional Food Bank. “More importantly, our Kids Café partners give Oklahoma children a safe place to go after school for activities and to get a nutritious meal before going home. The impact our partners have on children in our communities is immeasurable.”

Sites interested in applying must fill out an application at rfbo.org/kids-cafe-app before Friday, Aug. 30.

Last school year, Kids Cafés served 290,643 meals and snacks at 64 sites in the Regional Food Bank’s service area. All snacks and meals are prepared and packaged by volunteers in Hope’s Kitchen, the Regional Food Bank’s production kitchen.

“This community is so thankful for Kids Café because so many children around here need the food. The extra attention they get in our program is a blessing as well. We are feeding kids that would otherwise be hungry,” said Shawnda, a Kids Café director at an Oklahoma City afterschool program.

Kids Café is operated as a partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Education and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Anyone with questions should contact Patrick Tadlock, Food for Kids support manager at the Regional Food Bank, at ptadlock@rfbo.org or 405-600-3151. Find a Kids Café site operating in your area at rfbo.org/kids-café.

Kids Café meals are provided through support from the USDA. Meals will be provided equally and without charge to all children age 18 and younger, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. There will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

To file a complaint of discrimination, call 800-795-3272 or write to:

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Director
Office of Adjudication 1400 Independence Ave.
SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410