Kids BOOST A nutritional boost for children's brains, bodies, and bones Nearly 15,000 Knoxville area children are living below the poverty line, and many more are hovering just above it, in families that struggle daily to provide basic necessities. Every day many of the 600 families who visit our pantries are accompanied by their children, wide-eyed and curious. Some break into grins when we greet them; others, perhaps a bit wary of strangers, hang back and cling to their mothers or fathers or grandmothers. Many are still babes in arms, even newborns. Our guests and volunteers alike are drawn to these beautiful little ones. Often they offer an extra treat and hope for a smile. Other guests have kids in school or home with family, waiting eagerly for them and the food they will bring home. So we are particularly aware of the thousands of children in our community at risk for hunger and their needs for food that will help them to nourish their brains, bodies, and bones. As parents and grandparents ourselves, we worry about them. There is so much information available now about the foods kids need to build health. We’ve all heard that the cost of food is going up—we’ve all seen it in our own trips to the grocery store. We know that children need a diet rich in fruits, vegetables whole grains, dairy and protein, but the folks who come daily to our pantries could hardly afford the proverbial “apple a day” requirement. We can’t help but wonder about these little ones coming through the lines each day. What are their lives like? What will become of them? Is the food we are sending with them enough? Does it provide enough nutrition to help them to help them grow strong bones, bodies and brains and to reach the potential that God has intended for each one, or just enough to stave off the worst of the hunger pangs? We want to help ensure that those children do not go hungry--that they have the nutrition they need to thrive and to grow into healthy adults, just as we try to ensure that their parents have enough to eat so that they can put their energy into nurturing their children rather than into worrying about how to put food on the table So we decided, in addition to the food all families are already receiving when they visit, that we would provide each child with a special package of food just for kids containing the nutrients that are vital to children’s growth and well-being. The BOOST children’s food package includes nutritious, kid-friendly items like fresh fruit, granola, whole grain pasta, and dairy products like string cheese, milk, and yogurt pushups. We hold ourselves to the strictest standards in food selection for our BOOST bags. That mean no dyes, additives, artificial flavors or ingredients, fructose, carcinogens, or refined flours; all drinks are 100% juice. When we hand a BOOST bag to a child, we can say with confidence, “This is good for you.” We believe our BOOST bags give our younger guests a better chance of reaching optimal health. We can tell by the smiles of our small guests and their evident anticipation when they visit that the special bags have already become important to them. We watch as children’s faces light up when they are presented with a bag (decorated with animal or dinosaur stickers) especially for them. Our hearts warm as some of them clutch the treasured bags to themselves as they accompany their parents down the service line as their parents select items for the family's food bag. We hear happy squeals as they discover favorite treats like strawberries or grapes or peaches or blueberries. We watch youngsters intent on getting the plastic off their string cheese or tearing off the packaging of a fruit or granola bar to enjoy it on the spot. We take comfort in knowing that we are contributing to the growth and development of their young bodies. The parents, too, are so happy to get this extra Boost for their children. Like all parents they want their children to have everything they need, and they suffer in a particular way when they are not able to provide for their children’s most basic needs. Our words alone cannot convey the excitement and gratification we feel at the success of this project. And something about this exchange has touched our volunteers and made all of us feel more responsible for the children of our community. We feel especially called to take care of these most vulnerable in our community who cannot possibly get food for themselves. When people have more food they are stronger. When parents don’t have to worry about how they will feed their children, they have more energy to devote to their families and to better deal with other issues in their lives. And when people feel respected and listened to, their spirits are nurtured as well as their bodies. We are seeking partners in the community to assist us in boosting the nutritional status of the next generation by supporting our Kids BOOST program to help ensure that Knoxville’s children have what they need to reach their potential in life.