Kids Cafe

Food Bank For New York City opened its first Kids Cafe five years ago. Today our network of 20 Kids Cafes extends throughout the city from the South Bronx to Chinatown, Manhattan to Stapleton, Staten Island — serving an estimated 2,500 children, ages 6 to 21.

Developed as a model after-school meals program by Feeding America, the Food Bank has expanded the Kids Cafe Program to provide a comprehensive set of tools that address food poverty among our city's children. In addition to food, our Kids Cafes provide fun and educational services that focus on nutrition, fitness and cultural activities with the goal of developing healthy lifestyles at an early age.

To promote good fitness, the Food Bank developed the Cafe S.H.A.K.E. (Staying Healthy As Kids Exercise) fitness curriculum for children at Kids Cafe programs to address team-building, social and motor skills and the development of physical stamina and endurance. Other activities offered at our Kids Cafes, often tailored for the communities they serve, have included cooking classes, rooftop gardening, yoga, dancing, drumming lessons, swim instruction and karate.

According to research by the Center on Hunger and Poverty, children who participate in Kids Cafes report earning better grades in school, having more energy and less fatigue and being able to concentrate better. Recognizing the success of this model program, the Food Bank provides grants to support after-school meals programs and emphasizes fitness and nutrition education at our Kids Cafes.

For more information on our Kids Cafe Program, contact Tori Kass, Programs Manager.