Satisfy a child's hunger
and your sense of compassion at the same time.

Kids Cafe® is a national program founded by Feeding America and administered locally by the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia. It is a place where children through 18 years of age can come to receive free, nutritious evening meals in a safe, supportive environment. A Foodbank Nutritionist oversees the program, prepares the menus and provides nutrition education to the children.

Currently, there are more than 25 Kids Cafe locations in Chesapeake, Franklin, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Suffolk and the Eastern Shore. Additional locations will open as funds become available. These locations provide almost 275,000 meals to approximately 4,700 children annually.

Though economic times hit everyone hard, those families living on the edge suffer first and worst. We need your help now. If you or your organization would like to assist, please contact us or return the pledge card to the right.

We don't take reservations at Kids Cafe, but we do take everything else.

There are three ways you can help us in this important mission:

Donate money: So the Foodbank can purchase foods needed to provide balanced meals and support the operation of the Kids Cafe program. A $50 contribution buys complete and nutritious meals for all children at a small Kids Cafe site for one day!

Donate food: Or help secure child-friendly food donations from local restaurants and caterers. Your individual donations (sealed and in the original packaging) may be served or be sent home in weekend packages.

Top Ten Items Needed:
Fruit (#10 Cans) Applesauce, Peaches, Tropical Fruit, Fruit Cocktail, Pineapple
Vegetables (#10 Cans) Green Beans, Sweet Peas, Whole New Potatoes, Corn, Baked Beans

The Foodbank's Kids Cafes feed between 20 & 175 children a day. For this reason, #10 bulk-sized cans are appropriate. For the cook at our largest site – it's the difference between opening 7 #10 cans or 50 household size. Bulk cans are also less expensive. So please, when you're thinking of donating food for a Kids Cafe, keep this in mind.

Weekend and/or Holiday Bags for Kids Cafe
Another way you can help Kids Cafe is to have your business or organization do a "Kids Cafe Food Drive." While Kids Cafe provides an evening meal each day, some of these children still face hunger on the weekends and during school holidays.

This is a great way to encourage hands-on participation among your colleagues, friends, and/or family, etc. After collecting the food, your group can sort it and fill bags or backpacks at a location of your choice, or here at the Foodbank. We can even arrange for you to help distribute the food at one or more of the Kids Cafes.

Wish List for Kids Cafe Food Drive:
Individual items: Cereal boxes/bowls, Granola bars, Pop-Tarts®, Cereal bars, Peanut butter sandwich crackers, Pudding cups, Raisins, Fruit cups, Juice boxes (100% juice), Pretzels, Trail mix, Snack crackers
Shelf-Stable main course items: Ravioli, Beef stew, Chicken & dumplings, Tuna/chunk chicken, Macaroni & cheese, Chunky soups, Tuna Helper® , Pasta/Rice meals

The possibilities are endless, not to mention the fulfilling feeling of helping children in need. One group created an Angel Tree, with each tag including a list of food items to include in the backpack. They followed up this summer by filling beach bags with food, including a frisbee & water bottle in each one. This type of Kids Cafe food drive has also proven to be a very rewarding activity for Girl & Boy Scout troops.

Donate your time: Volunteer your time helping serve Kids Cafe participants, cleaning up, mentoring, and interacting with the children.

For more information, please contact Debbie Kleeger, Childhood Nutrition Manager at 757.314.4555 or dkleeger@foodbankonline.org.

You can also donate online or by mailing your contribution to:

Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia
*Attention Kids Cafe
P.O. Box 1940
Norfolk, Virginia 23501

Kids Cafe Sites:

Ansell Gardens
301A Ansell Avenue, Portsmouth

After the Bell @ Lafayette-Winona Middle School
1701 Alsace Avenue, Norfolk

After the Bell @ Lake Taylor Middle School
1380 Kempsville Road, Norfolk

Atlantis Community Center
999 Atlantis Drive, Virginia Beach

Brighton Rock A.M.E Zion Church
1300 Centre Avenue, Portsmouth

Candii, Inc.
3309 Granby Street, Norfolk

Cavalier Manor Recreation Center
404 Viking Street, Portsmouth

Cradock Recreation Center 
4300 George Washington Highway, Portsmouth

Cross Creek Neighborhood Network Center
2529 Bird Lane, Apt. B, Portsmouth

Friendship Village
1252 Carver Avenue, Virginia Beach

William A. Hunton YMCA
1139 East Charlotte Street, Norfolk

J.E. Parker Recreation Center
2430 Turnpike Road, Portsmouth

Neighborhood Facility Recreation Center
900 Elm Avenue, Portsmouth

Oakmont Community Development Center @ Bank Street Memorial Church
7036 Chesapeake Boulevard, Norfolk

Port Norfolk Recreation Center
432 Broad Street Portsmouth, Virginia 23707

Seatack Community Recreation Center
141 South Birdneck Road, Virginia Beach

Southside Boys & Girls Club
701 East Berkley Avenue, Norfolk

Southside Boys & Girls Club, Diggs Town Unit
1401 Melon Street, Norfolk

Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia

Calvert Square Unit
975 Bagnall Road, Norfolk

Chesapeake Unit @ Truitt Intermediate School
1100 Holly Avenue, Chesapeake

Douglass Park Unit @ Douglass Park Elementary School
34 Grand Street, Portsmouth

Exmore Unit @ Occohannock Elementary School
4208 Seaside Rd., Exmore, Eastern Shore

Franklin Unit @ S.P. Morton Elementary School
300 Morton Street, Franklin

Hodges Manor Unit @ Hodges Manor Elementary School
1201 Cherokee Road, Portsmouth

Norview Unit @ Norview Middle School
6325 Sewell’s Point Road, Norfolk

Rosemont Unit
1505 Competitor Court, Virginia Beach

Suffolk Unit @ John F. Kennedy Middle School
2325 East Washington Street, Suffolk

Thurgood Marshall Unit @ Thurgood Marshall Elementary School
2706 Border Road, Chesapeake

 

800 Tidewater Drive, Norfolk, Virginia 23504