Fighting Hunger through OST

The Problem:

Data shows that 1 in every 4 children throughout NM were food insecure prior to the COVID-19 pandemic – that’s approximately 130,000 children who were unsure where their next meal was coming from. In the wake of the pandemic, that number has increased drastically with 1 in every 3 children. Breaks from school and out-of-school time present challenges for many families with low income who rely on meals provided at school. This is a serious issue – children require good nutrition for optimal growth and development, readiness to learn, and school performance. When it comes to hunger, even when we control for the effects of factors correlated with poverty, food insecure children are more likely than food secure children to face health problems such as anemia, lower nutrient intake, cognitive problems, and so on.

What NMOST is Doing:

Impact of Food Insecurity on Children and Youth

Feeding our Human Capital          Too Hungry to Learn

Childhood Hunger in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic

July 2020 No Kid Hungry Report 

Podcast

Rethinking Hunger

— NMOST's Impact

• The At-Risk Afterschool Meals component of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) offers Federal funding to Afterschool Programs that serve a meal or snack to children in low-income areas. In New Mexico, the At-Risk Afterschool Meal Program is administered by the Family Nutrition Bureau as a part of the Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD).

— NMOST Monthly Meals Newsletter

• March 2020 
• December 2020
• November 2020
• October 2020
• September 2020

— Join the Food Program

• Find a sponsor here.

• Rural Hunger and Access to Healthy Food – Funding & Opportunities

• School Nutrition Foundation (SNF): Equipment Grants

• USDA: Farm to School Grants

• USDA: Youth Farm Safety Education and Certification Program

• Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI): State and Local Policy Campaign Grant Funding

— New Mexico Resources and Reading Material

— National Resources and Reading Material

— What Individuals, Programs, and Legislators Can Do

— NMOST Infographics​ (Click on images to download the PDF)

— Fighting Hunger through OST archive