tracy e. thompson mph candidate michigan state university

Designing and completing an evaluation of the impact of a local 501c3 providing

healthy evening meals to 4500 disadvantaged children in Kent County,

Michigan

Tracy E. ThompsonMPH Candidate

Michigan State University

Grand Rapids, MI

• Population 190,000• 59.0% White• 20.9% Black• 15.6% Hispanic• Per capita income: $20,281 (MI: $25,482)• Below poverty: 25.5% (MI: 15.7%)

Kids Food Basket• 10-year old 501c3

organization• Primarily privately funded (30%

Foundation, 30% Corporation, 40% Individual)

• Mobilizes over 45,000 volunteer hours/year

• Sack Supper—well-rounded evening meal in a paper sack given at school, after-school, parks

• Started by serving 125 – now almost 6,000 served every week day

Evaluation Questions

• Is the food provided by KFB eaten? • What is being eaten most? What

wasted?• Is the program reaching children and

families in need? • How can KFB continue to evaluate its

programs in the future?

Evaluation Methods

• An incentivized child survey on each of the bag suppers (1197; 26.6%) • An observational waste study (149)• Online teacher survey (82; 27.3%)• Parent survey (422)• Child interviews (65)

Is the food that Kids Food Basket provides being eaten?

Sandwich Juice Box Banana Carrots Granola Bar Crackers0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

70.00

80.00

90.00

100.00

64.91

91.37

74.62

55.78

75.96 75.38

WastedSharedConsumed

Results—Child Interviews

Brother/Sister67%

Parents23%

Other10%

Who Sack Supper Is Shared With

PB&J Veg Chips Banana Juice Granola Bar

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Not EatenPartially EatenEaten or Taken

Waste Study

What is being eaten most?What is being wasted?

Pre-K K 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.0030.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

70.00

80.00

90.00

100.00

Sandwich

Juice Box

Banana

Carrots

Granola Bar

Crackers

Percent of Children by Grade who Report Eating All of an Item

Perc

ent

Results—Waste Study

PB&J Veg Chips Banana Juice Granola Bar0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Not EatenPartially EatenEaten or Taken

Is the program reaching children & families in need?

Yes No no answer0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

87.68

9.243.08

Of All Surveys (n = 422)Child is on Free/Reduced Lunch Program

Thank you!

Questions?

What’s Happening Now?

• Kids Food Basket received a Kellogg Grant• Using lessons learned on new evaluation