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Overview

Inspire Kids to Eat Their Vegetables
Support Programs for Our Kids

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Donate via our secure website, or donate via PayPal at the link below.

Our Mission
Our mission is to inspire kids to eat their vegetables. We teach children in low-income elementary schools cooking, nutrition, gardening, and active play to improve our health, environment, and economy. 

Why Food Literacy is Needed
In Sacramento, 40% of children suffer from childhood obesity or are overweight. This directly increases their risk for Type 2 diabetes. These diet-related diseases are preventable if we eat our vegetables. Yet only 4% of kids are eating the recommended amount of fruits and veggies.

We work in low-income schools where students are at highest risk for diet-related diseases. Most of them are food and nutrition insecure.

How We Help Kids
We serve Title 1 schools in the Sacramento City Unified School District, focusing on South Sacramento. We inspire kids to eat their vegetables through hands-on cooking and nutrition classes. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we also offer free online learning resources, and distribute take-home veggie recipe kits to food and nutrition insecure students and their families We are bringing joy and a trauma-informed food literacy teaching approach to promote resilience, giving our kids a healthier future! 

Food Literacy Education

We provide weekly 45-minute food literacy classes delivered over 10 weeks in 20 low-income elementary schools. In our classrooms, students learn fruit and vegetable appreciation, how to read a recipe, cooking skills – and they have fun. We are unique in that we use positive reinforcement, getting kids excited about fruits and vegetables through culturally appropriate recipes, and hands-on activities.  

After receiving food literacy education

  • 96% of kids say healthy snacks taste good (attitude change)
  • 96% know how to read an easy recipe (knowledge)
  • 85% of students fearlessly tasted a new fruit or vegetable each week through our Produce of the Day tasting (behavior)

We are changing kids’ attitude, knowledge and behavior toward healthy eating.

Donate Now

Food Literacy Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Donations to Food Literacy Center are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Federal tax ID #45-3973268.

Cooking School 

Our new center is now open! We will be home to a city-run community garden, Food Literacy Center’s cooking school and headquarters, and student gardens managed by our program staff.

This state-of-the-art, green facility being built will include and support:

  • Cooking School, where 30+ students will learn to cook healthy meals.
  • Prep Kitchen, where our staff and volunteers will prep food and cooking supplies for after school programs across the school district focused on Title 1 schools.
  • Training & Office Space, where our staff will train future instructors of our curriculum, and manage the day-to-day operations of this 2.5-acre facility that will reach over 1,000 students/week.
  • Community Programs, where we will host family cooking classes, school field trips and more!

The new space will allow us to expand programs and impact more kids! Find out more on our Cooking School webpage.

Donate Now

Food Literacy Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Donations to Food Literacy Center are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Federal tax ID #45-3973268.

Receive a Thank You Gift

If you would like to receive a thank you gift for your donation, you can choose an option below. Our well-loved shirts are available with a $50 donation and our new book is available starting at $16. *The value of goods and services is not tax deductible. Your donation will not be fully tax-deductible. 

Food Literacy Center T-shirts

Book: Food Anatomy Activities for Kids 

Food Literacy Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Donations to Food Literacy Center are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Federal tax ID #45-3973268.

Major Donors

Major donors make substantial investments in the future of our organization and programs. They ensure a stable future with long-term support. There are many ways to make a major gift including event sponsorships, and name recognition opportunities.  If you are interested in becoming a major donor, please email development@foodliteracycenter.org or complete the major donor pledge form below and email it to us

Major Donor Pledge Form

Food Literacy Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Donations to Food Literacy Center are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Federal tax ID #45-3973268.

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