KidBright USA

Did you know that 8 or more students in the average Durham public school classroom suffer from hunger? For these kids, the breakfast and lunch they get during school may be their only meal for that day. KidBright USA aims to change that by utilizing a volunteer network that delivers free healthy snacks to children in need. Their vision is a hunger free classroom where all children can learn and succeed, something we can all get behind. 

KidBright is currently serving 600 children in 30 classrooms at Forest View Elementary, Hope Valley Elementary, and Shepard Middle School. Their admirable goal is to expand to serve all ~ 2,000 children in these schools this spring. Your tax deductible donation will help KidBright reach this goal. Head to kidbrightusa.org/donate to donate now!

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​Hunger in children has dire consequences. When kids don't have enough to eat it...

• Negatively affects brain and cognitive development
• Reduces motor skill development
• Increases the chance of developing chronic health conditions
• Correlates with obesity
• Increases the likelihood of behavioral problems by a factor of 8-12x, including classroom disruptions

(Information from KidBright here)

KidBright also tells us that "existing meal programs — including breakfast, lunch, and after-school snack programs — only fill a portion of the hunger gap.

• Nutrition level of provided meals are often inadequate and comparable to fast food
• Many schools serve lunch at unusual times to accommodate all students in limited cafeteria space
• Many schools provide very short lunch periods often leaving students with only a few minutes of table time to eat
• In Durham Public Schools, some elementary school students eat lunch as early as 10:30 a.m. This is their last scheduled meal until class ends at 3:30 p.m.
• The problem is most visible at snack time when some children bring healthy snacks, some bring low-quality “junk food” snacks, and still many others have nothing to eat at all. This disparity not only means that some children are undernourished or hungry but also has a social impact in the classroom."

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Another reason KidBright exists is because they work to combat the unfair burden child hunger places on teachers. "Each year 2.25 million teachers spend an average of $33 a month to feed their hungry students. Collectively, teachers are spending a staggering $530 million out-of-pocket each year to provide food for their students."

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Teachers truly know the impact of KidBright. As a 2nd grade teacher at Forest View Elementary tells us - “The seemingly simple act of sharing food with everyone, every day, has deep impacts on our classes. Besides filling the obvious need of hunger, it also nourishes kids’ hearts and reinforces their sense of belonging to a community that cares about them.”   

KidBright not only needs donations but volunteers to bring the food to the classrooms. Volunteering with KidBright is easy and fun! How does it work? 

1. They "pair two volunteers with two classrooms so they can alternate weeks to fit with their schedules.
2. On their scheduled weeks, volunteers receive an email with the snack order.
3. On Saturday or Sunday volunteers visit Costco and shop for the ordered snacks.
4. Volunteers pay for the snacks using personal funds and then email a photo of their receipt to reimbursement@KidBrightUSA.org. Within 48 hours, KidBright will reimburse volunteers in full for their purchase. 
5. Volunteers deliver snacks Monday morning before classes start and feel good knowing that students will be nourished and ready to learn throughout the week!"

Fill out an application here! ​

KidBright also prides themselves on being completely transparent about how they work and where money goes. You can read their annual report here. 

So how can you make a difference in the lives of students in Durham today? With a one-time gift of $30 made easily online, you can provide a hungry child with a healthy snack every day of the school year. That's just .17 cents per snack/day - surely you can see the impact your donation would have and how far they can stretch your money. KidBright USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and your gift is tax-deductible.

Help combat childhood hunger right in our hometown today. Visit: kidbrightusa.org/donate

FCC Disclosure for bloggers: I received payment in exchange for this blog post. The post is written by me, and contains my own opinions.