Schoolchildren should only be worried about absorbing classroom material, completing homework assignments and preparing for tests—not about where their next meal is coming from. 

Unfortunately, there are a substantial number of children and families who face food and nutrition-insecurity. Going to school on an empty stomach can hinder a child’s capacity to learn and reach their full potential in and out of school. 

The Food Bank and its partners are committed to helping ensure children have the nutrition they need to thrive and learn through various Children’s Nutrition programs, including the After-School Meal Program.  

The Food Bank’s After-School Meal Program, also known as the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), is the nation’s biggest charitable meal service program solely for underserved, at-risk children. Founded by Feeding America in 1993, it distributed over 49,000 meals in 2023 alone, with the collaboration of hundreds of other nonprofit organizations across LA County. 

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One of those partners includes Friends of St. Lawrence-Watts Youth Center. Friends of St. Lawrence has been serving the Watts community for over 20 years to bolster the welfare and education of students and their families, including providing food and nutrition assistance.  

“At St. Lawrence, 80% of students benefit from the food we receive from the Food Bank,” said  Thomas J. Lynch, Principal of Friends of St. Lawrence. 

“In order for our kids to achieve success, we have to offer these programs. We’re blessed to have this partnership with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. In urban Los Angeles, it’s tough to live paycheck-to-paycheck, and many of us do. This food program is vital not just for the kids but to the families in our community.”