The Problem
Children without proper nutrition have difficulties concentrating in school and are more prone to chronic illnesses that may hinder their growth and development. While schools provide meals for their students through school breakfast and lunch programs, some children may not have sufficient access to adequate, nutritious food outside of school hours. One of the way's the Brazos Valley Food Bank addresses childhood hunger is through it's Children's BackPack program.
According to Feeding America, 20% or 1 in 5 Texas children experience hunger, in the Brazos Valley, it's 1 in 4.
The Solution
The Brazos Valley Food Bank’s School-Based Food Pantry program addresses the issue of adolescent hunger by partnering with local schools to host food pantries on the school campus that distribute food and hygiene items. These Pantries predominantly serve intermediate, middle, and high schools and are able to serve the student's whole family, as needed.
The goal of the School Pantry program is to eliminate food insecurity for junior and high school students in need so that they have healthy bodies, healthy minds, and a good chance to become productive members of society.
This program ensures that students and families have access to nutritious food, meeting them where they are. School pantries can offer a variety of canned goods, dry goods such as cereal, pasta and rice, as well as hygiene items.
The Impact
School-Based Food Pantries make food more readily accessible for low-income students, their families and school personnel in need since they are already regularly at school. They can access a variety and quantity of food that can serve the whole family, in a way that accommodates an older student's reluctance to be singled out or somehow identified as “in need” amongst their peers. School-Based Food Pantries also try to be preventative – some youth feel obligated to help the family, and this offers them a safe and confidential way to do this, without skipping school or dropping out altogether to get a job.
For the 2023 - 2024 School Year, BVFB served 5,292 children by distributing 25,843 lbs of food in addition to toiletries and necessities to 17 partner schools across the Brazos Valley
Dive Deeper Into BVFB's School Pantry Program
Click the links below to find out more!
Food insecurity is harmful to all people, but it is particularly devastating to children. Proper nutrition is critical to a child’s development.
In the Brazos Valley, Childhood food insecurity rates (the most recent data being from 2022) are as follows
Brazos County: 22.6%
Burleson County: 22%
Grimes County: 23.7%
Madison County: 23.2%
Robertson County: 25.3%
Washington County: 22.2%
Below find Feeding America's research on the prevalence of and consequences of child hunger.
Feeding America: Child Hunger in America
Brazos: AMCHS, AMCMS, CSHS, CSMS, Oakwood Intermediate, Pecan Trail Intermediate, Wellborn Middle, MC Harris, Project Hope, Rudder High School, Davila Middle School
Burleson: Caldwell Intermediate, Snook ISD, Somerville High School
Robertson: Bremond ISD
Washington: Brenham ECLC, Brenham Middle School
The Brazos Valley Food Bank partners with Middle and High Schools to provide low-income students and their families with a pantry where they can receive food as needed throughout the school year. As a School-Based Food Pantry Partner Site, you will work alongside the Brazos Valley Food Bank to help address childhood and adolescent hunger at your school.
Brazos Valley Food Bank:
- Acquires food for the School-Based Pantry Program
- Delivers food to School-Based Pantry partners
- Offers training and program support to School-Based Pantry partners
School-Based Food Pantry Partners:
- Safely store, inventory and pack food and hygiene items
- Ensure the participation of their school community
- Distribute discreetly to students and their families during regular hours at least once monthly
- Securely store program information and reports that include identifying information.
Pantries are a more effective intervention for older school populations—Intermediate, Middle and High Schools. They must serve students and their families who are eligible at least once each month during the school year.
Basic Needs to Begin:
- Securable, climate controlled, pest controlled area to store food
- Some method to maintain and store confidential records
- A designated coordinator/liason to BVFB
- Staffing - persons to operate the school pantry during designated hours
Materials Needed to Begin:
- Basic office supplies
- Boxes/Bags
- Shelving to safely store food
Interested in becoming a School-Based Food Pantry Partner Site?
Winter Murphy - Special Programs Manager
(979) 779-3663 ext. 113
WinterM@bvfb.org
BVFB's School-Based Food Pantry Program In the News
Local schools team up with Brazos Valley Food Bank to help fight child hunger
How the ‘Food for Families Food Drive’ supports vital food bank programs in the Brazos Valley