Phoenix, AZ – Thunderbirds Charities, a major player in the growth and expansion of St. Mary’s Kids Cafe Program, has donated $300,000 to allow the food bank to purchase two new refrigerated trucks and to purchase food to help reach more of Arizona’s hungry children than ever before through a new program.
Kids Cafe serves more than 8,000 after-school meals at more than 140 locations to kids at risk of hunger who may not be receiving balanced, nutritional meals at home.
Many meals are served at after school programs that provide a safe environment for kids not only to eat but work on homework and participate in sports and other activities. But the Thunderbird are helping St. Mary’s reach even more kids in 2018 by supporting the new “Grab and Go” program where students receive a meal at the end of the school day before they walk home or get on the bus.
Thunderbirds Charities have provided more than $100 million to Valley non-profits over the years and have played an instrumental role in St. Mary’s reaching as many children as possible through Kid Cafe. The two new trucks will join St. Mary’s existing fleet of Kid Cafe trucks also made possible through donations by the Thunderbirds.
“Kids Cafe is one of our most vital and important programs at St. Mary’s, and it would never be as successful or impactful without the continued support of Thunderbirds Charities,” Food Bank President and CEO Tom Kertis said. “The Thunderbirds have embraced the cause of childhood hunger and our mission to always serve one more child. The incredible expansion of Kids Cafe and our ability to open more and more site are a direct result of their vision and determination to help.”