IM Kids 3rd Meal

Childhood Hunger

IM Kids 3rd Meal is committed to ending childhood hunger in Ionia and Montcalm counties.

In Ionia County 1 in 5 children are food insecure and in Montcalm County 1 in 4 are food insecure.
Lack of enough healthy food can impair a child’s ability to concentrate and perform well in school.
Hungry children struggle to stay on track with other students in school because they are more likely to experience headaches, stomachaches, colds, ear infections and fatigue.

IM Kids 3rd Meal Plan of Action

The 3rd Meals are prepared by volunteers at the H.O. Steele Education Center, delivered to schools in the afternoon and then distributed to the students before they are dismissed for the day. Each 3rd Meal is a well-balanced, ready-to-eat evening meal.

How do we know students are food insecure?

They…

• rush to the food lines
• have extreme hunger on Monday mornings       
• eat all the food served at meal times
• ask for seconds                                                                                 
• frequently tell teachers they are hungry

They are…

• extremely thin, puffy, or swollen
• hyperactive, irritable, withdrawn, or aggressive
• have problems getting along with others
• always sick or absent from school

Students with these warning signs might be living in households experiencing food insecurity.  IM Kids3rd Meal seeks teacher recommendations for this program because they are the first to recognize these warning signs in students.

IM KIDS 3rd Meal is supported by the Ionia County Intermediate School District and the Montcalm Area Intermediate School District. For more information about this program contact IM Kids 3rd Meal at imkids3rdmeal@gmail.com or 616-225-7264

H.O. Steele Education Center
10260 S Sheridan Rd. Fenwick, MI 48834
Email: imkids3rdmeal@gmail.com
Phone: 616-225-7264