Chicago - The Greater Chicago Food Depository has been awarded a three-year, $210,000 grant from The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation to help expand the number of local Kids Cafes® in Cook County. 

Currently, the Food Depository provides 2,200 children in Cook County with after-school hot meals, tutoring, and mentoring through its 26 Kids Cafes. The MSDF grant will help the Food Depository increase not only the number of Kids Cafes but also the number of children who will receive nutritious meals and educational guidance daily. 

“We are grateful for the recognition that the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has provided for our efforts to improve the well-being and educational opportunities for tens of thousands of children in the Chicago area,” says Michael Mulqueen, executive director of the Food Depository. “This generous grant will now enable us to expand our efforts to attack the underlying causes of poverty and enrich the lives of many thousands more children.” 

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is dedicated to supporting programs that improve education and health outcomes for children in measurable ways. The Austin (Tex.)-based Foundation began funding Kids Cafes, a national initiative of America’s Second Harvest, in the Austin area and is now expanding its support to positively impact children’s lives in additional communities. 

"Health and education are vital building blocks in helping children reach their full potential," says Janet Mountain, executive director of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. "Through the Foundation's support of the Kids Cafe program, we are working to ensure that more children in Cook County have access to proper nutrition and educational support to help meet their basic needs and provide them with the tools necessary to be successful." 

The Food Depository’s Kids Cafes program began in 1993 to address growing child hunger. Nearly 37% of those receiving food at the Food Depository’s 600 agencies – food pantries, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters – are children. Kids Cafes are located in community centers, churches, and Boys and Girls clubs. For many children, the hot meal they are served at Kids Cafes may be the only one they receive all day. All children receive homework assistance, and most Kids Cafes offer computer training, music, and arts and crafts programs. There is a well-established link between nutrition and mental and physical growth – a link that the Food Depository’s Kids Cafes strengthens.