TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Across the U.S., more and more children are unsure where their next meal is coming from. According to 'Feeding America', more than 13 million kids went hungry in 2022.
The Tucson Roadrunners teamed up with one organization who’s is taking a different approach to helping the problem.
Hockey players skated off the ice into the kitchen to help out the Tucson Family Food Project, 1237 N. Euclid Ave., Tucson, Ariz. 85719.
“Anytime you get to come out to the community and give back like this you always try to have fun with it because it’s for a bigger cause," Tucson Roadrunner, Colin Theisen said.
For Steven Cota-Robles, this all started back in 2021 in his own kitchen.
Now, the project helps kids all across Tucson with food insecurities, giving them meal kits they can make themselves at home.
“When you give them just a meal and it’s like here’s your meal for you to eat, when they are done eating it, it’s over," Tucson Family Food Project Founder Cota-Robles said. "You know that thing you’ve given them is gone so we’re trying to give them something that they can take with them, beyond a meal."
Each week, there is a different meal. This week, is a maple walnut granola.
“It’s a small deed but it goes a long way so it’s something nice to do for the community," Tucson Roadrunner, Peter DiLiberatore said.
The project is currently in four schools in Tucson, feeding 200 families.
“We deliver to them on Fridays so that way, we can make sure they have food for the weekend because so many kids use school as their primary source of nutrition," Cota-Robles said.
Cota-Robles hopes in the coming year, this project will grow to 400 families.
“This is an actual fixable problem and the results we’re seeing from this totally unique approach to fighting childhood food insecurity has just been enormous," Cota-Robles said.
Their meals range all the way from the maple walnut granola like they made today to a potato, brussels and herbs frittata.
The program is open to anyone. All parents have to do is sign a permission slip.
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Erin Patterson is a reporter for KGUN 9. She's agraduate of the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s in News Media with a Sports Concentration. Erin recently obtained her Master's Degree in Sports Journalism from Arizona State University at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, where she gained experience a sports reporter, anchor and producer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Erin by emailing erin.patterson@kgun9.com.
