Child Nutrition Outreach

Good child nutrition can make a huge emotional, physical, and mental difference through childhood and into adulthood. Several studies have shown how the adverse affects of hunger on children can be permanent and largely irreversible. Adverse effects include stunted growth and brain development and delayed motor-skills development. Moreover, there is extensive research that makes the link between adequate nutrition and school success.

There are many federally funded child nutrition programs that go underutilized because parents, teachers, day care providers, and others are unaware of their existence or because programs do not have adequate staffing or resources to pursue and operate the programs.

The Task Force is working with the Oregon Department of Education and other community partners to better publicize the Summer Food, School Breakfast, and Afterschool Snack and Meals Programs so that more children will get the proper nutrition they need. Our summer food outreach has included visits from the Power Panther (pictured left), who will be back next summer!

To learn more about child nutrition programs and how they work, go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Oregon Department of Education websites.  The California Food Policy Advocates (CFPA) have a wonderful website with more information about school breakfasts, www.breakfastfirst.org.

To find out the percentage of free and reduced lunches served in schools in your area (the easiest way to determine eligbility for the summer food program), visit the Oregon Department of Education Reports.

The Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force has developed outreach materials and stratagies to help publicize the Summer Food Program. Our Summer Food Guide is now available online in draft form.  For more information about Summer Food and how to get involved, contact Annie Kirschner at (503) 517-2099 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  We also maintain a Multnomah County summerfood Yahoo group -- please feel free to join us.

The Oregon Department of Education posts updates on the Summer Food Program as well as necessary forms for Sponsors and Sites.

Child Nutrition publications and resources are also available online.