Meals On Wheels for Kids (MOW4Kids)

MOW4Kids: a COVID-19 response program focused on delivering meals, groceries, and produce during school closures, extended holidays and summer vacation.

Founded by Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger (TBNEH) in March 2020 as a Covid-response program, Meals On Wheels for Kids (MOW4Kids), a home-delivered meal program, served children when schools were closed (Summer Break/Winter Break/Holiday closures). The program focused on serving children who usually received breakfast and/or lunch meals at school through the free and reduced National School Lunch Program/School Breakfast Program (NSLP/SBP). MOW4Kids served as an alternative option for kids who were unable to pick up food from meal distribution sites or food pantries due to transportation issues during school closures.

According to the USDA, more than 11 million children in the United States live in “food insecure” homes. This means that those households don’t have enough food for every family member to lead a healthy life. Since the coronavirus pandemic, projections show that 18 million children could face hunger this year.

MOW4Kids was key in providing an important link to maintaining the health and well-being of food-insecure children. Studies have shown that malnutrition, or under-nutrition, can significantly impair a child’s health, physical growth, and academic performance. We created MOW4Kids to ensure that every child receives healthy meals delivered to their homes by volunteers– so that no child goes hungry during school closures, extended holidays and summer vacation.