DENVER — One in seven kids in Colorado lives with food insecurity, according to the Food Bank of the Rockies. The organization is partnering with some Denver schools to make sure students have the nourishment they need to succeed in after-school programs.
"My teachers and parents have noticed that if I get hungry, I, like, start losing energy, and I won’t focus in class," said Damion Placencia, a fifth grader at Denison Montessori in Denver.
Many children, like Damion, arrive at after-school programs hungry and with little energy to tackle homework and recreation.
To meet this demand, Food Bank of the Rockies makes about 2,500 fresh meals daily and delivers them to dozens of after-school meal sites in the Denver metro area. The meals are carefully designed to be both appealing and nutritious, looking to keep kids focused and relieve the burden on staff and parents.
"Food Bank of the Rockies has this whole setup where we don't have to worry about if they're getting a fruit or a vegetable or some kind of protein in the meal," said Paula Thompson, an early childhood teacher at Denison.
Thompson sees the effects of the meals ripple through her school's community.
"If they don't have something to eat then they're not going to be able to concentrate on what we're trying to show them, play a game, or any of those things," she said. "Being able to supply them with something to eat is so much easier. They can get a lot more done."
The meals are prepared locally by chefs and volunteers at the Food Bank of the Rockies. Jon Knight, executive chef and director of culinary operations, said it's tricky creating meals that are nutritious but also appeal to some picky palates.
"The whole idea is, we're trying to get as fresh and clean and straightforward as possible. We want to make sure things are healthy," said Knight. "We want to try to give them a variety, introduce them to more things. I think that was a really important thing for my growth as a child, too, of trying new things and stepping out of my comfort zone."
Knight said parents and staff play an important role in helping kids step out of their comfort zones with new foods.
"It's a lot of help of the people who work here with us too, the people who are the counselors and people who run these operations, encouraging the kids to try new things, eating with them," he said.
For more information on how to support the Food Bank of the Rockies, you can visit their website through this link.
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