About the Food For Thought Children's Pantry
The Food For Thought Children's Pantry Program provides food and nutritional
services to children affected by HIV/AIDS in Sonoma County. The dependent children
of food bank clients themselves become clients of Food For Thought and receive
weekly grocery bags, including packaged and canned goods, fresh fruits and
vegetables, eggs, and meats.
The purpose of this program is twofold: to alleviate hunger and malnutrition
in children affected by HIV/AIDS in our community, and to enable our clients
who are parents to fully benefit from the nutritious food we provide, since
it is a vital factor in their fight against HIV.
When our delivery drivers arrive at clients' homes, children frequently come
running to meet and hug them, eagerly grabbing at the grocery bags and yelling,
"The food is here!" We know that children who are dependent upon adults with
HIV/AIDS are frequently malnourished and hungry because their parents' struggles
with the disease renders them unable to adequately provide for them. These
children both require and deserve access to nourishing food in their formative
years, food that can keep them healthy and allow them to grow up free from
developmental deficits that stem from poor nutrition.
Moreover, having an adequate food supply can assist children to live with the
dignity, self-esteem, and security that can be threatened when affected by
HIV/AIDS. Our goal is to ensure that children affected by HIV/AIDS in Sonoma
County eat well, stay healthy, and learn the good food habits that will help
them succeed in school and lead to an overall higher quality of life.