Kids smiling at the lunch table with their food

Child Hunger

It’s a simple fact: A child’s chance for a bright tomorrow starts with getting enough food to eat today.

No Child Should Go Hungry

Children of all ages need healthy meals to be happy, learning and growing.

Unfortunately, childhood hunger impacts far too many K-12 age students. A hungry child cannot focus in school – they struggle to perform in the classroom, consistently scoring lower than their peers and are more likely to experience:

  • Anxiety
  • Poor behavior
  • Impacts to physical and mental development and health

That’s why feeding children facing hunger is a main priority of Feeding South Dakota. We are proud to offer specific programs designed to combat childhood hunger:

Child in the classroom with their hand on their head

BackPack Program

Feeding South Dakota's BackPack Program provides children with free, easy-to-make meals for the weekend and school breaks.

Summer BackPack

Feeding South Dakota has partnered with participating schools to keep BackPack programs running in the summer to fill the gap over the weekends.

School Pantry

A school pantry is a food pantry located inside or close to a school, providing free food for students and their families.