About Us

Our Mission

We believe no child should struggle to learn on an empty stomach. Our mission is to ensure every student has access to a nourishing snack during the school day so they can stay focused, energized, and ready to thrive. By uniting families, educators, and community members, we’re nourishing children’s minds and hearts — one snack, one classroom, one act of kindness at a time.

Our Story

Snacks for Kids began with a few small moments that revealed a much bigger need. One afternoon, our daughter came home and shared that her teacher had quietly shared her orange so a student wouldn’t go without a snack that day. As we talked more with our children, we learned this wasn’t an isolated incident. Several classmates regularly arrived at school without the daily snacks teachers asked families to provide. We knew teachers would send out requests for extra snacks as need would arise, but we soon realized how much they actually depend on parent donations, or even their own money, to make sure no child goes without.

That reality became even clearer during a school field trip where I was volunteering. I noticed one child sitting apart from the group, visibly upset and unwilling to participate. When I asked what was wrong, he simply said he was hungry. I happened to have a sleeve of crackers in my bag, and after checking with his teacher, I offered them to him. He quickly ate the entire sleeve — and the change was immediate. His tears stopped, his mood visibly improved, and he rejoined the group, fully engaged and happily participating in the creek-digging activity alongside his classmates. Moments like these made it impossible to ignore how something as simple as a snack can shape a child’s entire day — and how often children are trying to learn, participate, and belong while feeling hungry.
Samantha Couture, President & CEO

As parents, we know how much a small snack can impact a child’s focus and energy. One of our children doesn’t eat lunch until nearly 12:30 p.m., and having something nutritious mid-morning makes all the difference in their ability to learn and stay engaged. That realization made the issue deeply personal for us. As we spoke with other parents, we discovered this wasn’t unique to our children's classrooms. While we were familiar with free and reduced-price meal programs, we couldn’t find any program that provided snacks free of charge during the school day.

No child should have to sit through class hungry or feel singled out because their family couldn’t provide a snack. In our own school district (Wake County, NC), 33,550 children, or 12.7% of elementary school aged children, live in food-insecure households, and nearly half are not eligible for federal nutrition programs. We knew we wanted to take action.

That’s how Snacks for Kids was born — a community-led nonprofit created to ensure that every child has access to healthy snacks during the school day. Through donations, local partnerships, and volunteer support, we provide nutritious, school-approved snacks directly to classrooms, relieving teachers and families of the burden to constantly supply them.

Our approach is simple but powerful: when the community comes together, every child benefits. By pooling resources, buying in bulk, and partnering with local organizations, we stretch every dollar further and ensure support reaches the elementary schools that need it most. Just as importantly, we aim to raise awareness and spread the word so more families, educators, and community members understand the need and join us in making sure no child goes hungry in the classroom.

Our vision is clear: one day, every public school in the nation will have snacks available for every student so hunger never stands in the way of learning, and every child feels nourished, supported, and ready to thrive.

Our Impact

When students have access to the snacks they need, they can learn, participate, and grow without hunger standing in the way. Every snack we deliver not only fuels children’s focus and confidence but also relieves teachers of the worry that a student might go without.

Teachers no longer have to ask parents for extra snacks, keep a personal stash in their desk, or spend their own money to fill the gap. Our impact is measured in smiles, improved concentration, and the growing number of elementary school classrooms where every child, and every teacher, feels supported, prepared, and cared for.

We track our success through:

Snacks delivered: Thousands of nutritious, school-approved snacks distributed each year
Schools served: Starting with high-need elementary schools and continuing until all elementary schools are covered
Community involvement: Volunteers and donors coming together to make lasting change