Promoting to Kids and Families

According to No Kid Hungry's 2013 survey of low-income families, schools are the most trusted source of information regarding child nutrition programs, so they are crucial pathways to reaching kids and families. If a school offers an afterschool meal or snack, support the school in actively promoting it to students. If a school does not provide meals or snacks, then provide information about nearby programs that are open to students for the school to promote instead.

Schools can spread the word about afterschool snacks and meals through:

• Direct outreach to parents, such as:
  • Robocalls
  • Newsletters
  • Website
  • Social media
  • Materials sent home with students, such as a postcard, letter or FAQ document on afterschool meals
  • Partnership with the parent-teacher association
• Direct outreach to students, such as:
  • Morning or afternoon announcements
  • Posters in common areas
  • Postcards distributed in classrooms or left in lockers
  • Social media

Faith-based organizations spread the word through:

• Direct outreach to the congregation, such as:
  • Fliers or posters hung in common areas
  • Postcards in common areas that can be taken home
  • Newsletters or bulletin announcements
  • Website
• Engagement with other local faith leaders, such as:
  • Sharing information about programs and inviting youth from other congregations to participate
  • Coordinating faith summits or gatherings to educate the faith community

Community-based organizations can spread the word by:

• Working with the state agency to map existing afterschool meal and snack sites in the community in order to target areas for outreach or promotion
• Posting information about afterschool programs and meal sites in locations like:
  • Parks and recreation centers
  • Libraries
  • Community health centers
  • Public transportation centers
  • Public housing complexes
  • Places of worship
  • Grocery stores
  • Convenience stores
  • Food pantries
  • Government services offices (English language learning programs, adult literacy, vocational training, WIC, Medicaid, social services, etc.)

The information that you decide to provide would depend on your services and your audience, but options include:

• Stories or statistics demonstrating the need for afterschool snacks and meals, like No Kid Hungry’s parent survey results
• Best practices or stories from successful programs
• Details about your organization’s programs that serve afterschool snacks or meals
• Information about other local afterschool programs that offer snacks or meals, particularly those that are open-to-all or accepting new participants

You can spread the word through:

• A FAQ section on your website and providing state agencies and other organizations with information to do the same
• A direct link from your website to social media sites including Twitter and Facebook
• Information about afterschool meals and snacks posted on social media sites and shared with local leaders
• Videos, photos, and other digital content shared with your online network
• Facebook ads, which can help to spread the word faster and farther, that include your website, phone number, and a link to the FAQ document