"To date, this amazing program has provided over 46,000 meals to community youth. For many, the proximity of our Club to their homes has made all the difference during the pandemic."

"This certainly have been trying times. As we strive to remain partnered with our vulnerable population, we look for creative ways to serve them even if they aren't physically in our building."  

"Our greatest concern was to be able to provide the quality of food we have been for our children especially in a difficult time."

"The providers have a big concern for the families in need, those whom are under the ratio of poverty.
Some providers have a big heart and still providing assistant with food and care..."

"I stood at Costco lines usually 2 hours before opening time, cold, in the rain, hoping to find basic foods, cleaning and disinfecting supplies without luck. Unable to find the foods the food program requires, we shifted into survival mode..."

"Starting in the early morning, before all the parents and children arrive, Chef Saul starts his day to prepare nutritious meals and snacks for over 150 children a day totaling over 4,000 meals in a given month. Food budgeting is a natural skill of his and this skill has been key in the pandemic to ensure children receive nutritious foods."

"CACFP is a great source for most providers to assist in feeding our children nutritional foods, for some children in home or centers are their only means to receiving nutritional foods..."

 "... closed because all families are keeping their children home at this time. Therefore, she has lost all of her income."

"My facility was accepted to operate under the Critical Care Site guidelines. I have participated for many years with the Catholic Charity Adult and Children Food Program. During this pandemic, finding healthy food and the quantity needed has been very difficult."

"If I was asked about changes to food program, i would propose that DURING a pandemic, we got reimbursed the maximum amount of money, just as we do by subsidized care because attendance drops and food cost rise. That would alleviate food reimbursement reduction stress in an already difficult time."  

"What we have done as an agency is started a drive-through lunch pick-up, where we distribute 1 meal per day plus any additional food that has been donated to us by one of our community partners (food bank, extra food.org, etc.). "

"...when I get ready to start complaining I stop and think of all of the wonderful things that my agency does and how amazing they are, along with all of the wonderful things that we as CACFP do and provide for our providers it makes me all the more grateful. "

"The difficulties: we also have private payers and they are not bringing their children so it gets hard to make all ends meet."