In honor of Hunger Awareness Month, we invite you to join us in the effort to end childhood hunger in our community.This year we have experienced a 29% increase in requests for services compared to last year. And nearly half of those we serve are children under 18 years old. While the local schools often provide free or reduced-cost lunches and breakfast, students have little to no options for food during the weekend. Childhood hunger and poor nutrition lead to an increase in chronic diseases like diabetes; poorer mental health; and behavioral and academic barriers in children including increased dropout rates (Feeding America, 2019).

The County’s vulnerable children under 18 experience hunger at an alarming rate with many schools reporting that at least 70% of their students fall below the poverty line. Our NIBBLES: The Nutrition in Backpacks before Little Ones Exit School (NIBBLES) program provides weekend meals and snacks during the school year for 272 children from low-income families at Lost Pines Elementary, Mina Elementary Red Rock Elementary, Emile Elementary, Bluebonnet Elementary, Cedar Creek Intermediate, and Bastrop Intermediate school. With 1 in 4 Bastrop County children going hungry, we are serving just the tip of the iceberg. We need your help. Please consider investing in the future of these students by providing them the nutrition they need to thrive.