Boys & Girls Club program helping kids succeed, one plate at a time

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. (KABC) -- When the final school bell rings, the day doesn't end at home around a dinner table for many kids.

Instead, they are bused to the Boys & Girls Club of Capistrano Valley, where after-school means a safe place to study, spend time with friends, and most importantly, a healthy meal waiting for them.

"It makes me happy because now I don't have to be hungry at school and be hungry here, because they give us food to eat," student Sofia Bell said.

The Boys & Girls Club partners with Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County through a program called Kids Café, making sure children facing food insecurity don't go home hungry.

Click here to donate or text "FEEDSOCAL" to 41444

The program is made possible through USDA grants, and Claudia Keller of Second Harvest said the program solves more than just hunger among students.

"It's really about their ability to learn and thrive, because they're not much we can do on an empty stomach, and kids are no different," Keller said.

"The meals are really good," student Yaretzi Franco Pedroza said. "Sometimes they have, like, pineapple and apples and carrots, peanut butter sandwiches, and they provide us with milk with every meal."

Nearly 1,600 youth are seen each year at Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley, which gave out more than 22,000 meals last year.

Leaders here said the need is growing even greater this year.

For some families struggling to make ends meet, these after-school meals are nothing short of lifesaving.

"We know that when they get out of school, they're going to have a good nutritious meal that's going to fill their bellies," Nicole Watson said. "If not, their lunchtime meal at school could very possibly be their last meal of the day, meaning that they go to sleep hungry and they wake up hungry."

Then, there's a lot of kids here like JD, who lights up talking about his favorite after-school snack.

"Every time my friends go in, they're like, 'JD come in, there's cereal!' and I'm like, 'Okay!'" he said. "Then, we just start running in and get some. It's really good."

Thanks to you, the community, these children don't just see a meal, they see that you care.

"People are helping people, and you see it in their giving," Watson said.

Our 15th annual ABC7 Feed SoCal Food Drive is underway now.

If you would like to help our neighbors in need, click here to donate or text "FEEDSOCAL" to 41444.

Your gift of $25 today will unlock 100 meals for people in need in your neighborhood.