In an effort to make sure children are getting enough to eat, Feeding South Dakota and Oak View Library have partnered to try an after-school snack program.

Kids that  have regular access to food perform better in school, have a higher graduation rate, and have fewer behavioral and developmental delays according to research.

“We recognize there is an unmet need in the community, and the partnership with the library is an innovative addition to our existing child hunger program,” said Allison Struck, BackPack Program Coordinator with Feeding South Dakota. “The library is a safe environment, we know children are going there after school, and the library staff have been fully engaged in the process.”

James Borchert, Oak View Library Branch Manager, approached Feeding South Dakota and asked if there was a way to provide food to children who visit the library after school. Borchert had researching similar snack programs around the country and wanted to try one in Sioux Falls.

Oak View is located near Anne Sullivan Elementary, a Title I school that participates in the BackPack Program. Borchert noticed that students left Anne Sullivan after school, walked to the library, and stayed until late in the evening when their parents got off work.

The new program has been named Food For All by the students. Since September 8, in an effort to curb that hunger gap, Oak View Library has been giving snacks and juice boxes to children, during the week, after school. The snack include turkey jerky, apples, yogurt, bananas, fruit snacks and crackers. Feeding South Dakota provided the food and library staff managed the food and distribution.

“Staff members have fully embraced the project from the beginning,” Borchert said. “We all decided that it was a natural addition to the services we already offer. We feed their bodies with Food For All and then we feed their minds with library programming such as Travel Tuesdays, where kids learn about different cultures. On Thursdays, kids take that new cultural knowledge and create a take home craft that relates to that culture.”

Since Food For All began distributing snacks and drinks, the library has experienced an increase in the number of children visiting its site. On average, the library staff has been providing food to 83 children per day. Of those kids, about 60-70 stay at the library to participate in programs, read, complete homework, or play on the computers.

Food For All is a one-year pilot program. If the model yields successful results, Feeding South Dakota could expand to other satellite sites.

(VIA)

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