Nonprofit Partners Address Childhood Food Insecurity

A child who misses breakfast or is worried about whether he’ll have dinner at home often feels tired or irritable at school. An empty stomach makes it hard for young students to pay attention and focus on learning.

That’s why United Way of Central Ohio invests in local nonprofit partners such as Feed The Kids Columbus. These critical programs strengthen families and ensure their children have access to nutritional meals and snacks so they can learn and grow.

Through Feed The Kids Columbus, children at Asbury Elementary School in the Groveport Madison Local School District and other schools in our Success by Third Grade participating districts receive snacks during the school day and food bags to take home during weekends and breaks.

According to Ashley Kanney, founder of Feed the Kids Columbus, “One in four children in central Ohio do not have the food they need to thrive.”  From its start in Ashley’s garage, supporting just 97 students, the nonprofit has expanded to reach over 10,500 children across 30 schools in Greater Columbus, impacting lives and creating lasting change.

“United Way has been really supportive with helping to bridge the gap in between those needs that are not just academic,” says Bintou Bah, a social worker at Dunloe Elementary School in Groveport. “They are willing to bring us in and say ‘What do you feel the district needs?'”

When you support Success by Third Grade, you join a movement that is putting more and more students on a pathway to success. United is the Way to build a stronger, more resilient central Ohio for generations to come.