Launched at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic Real Food for Kids: Chefs Feeding Families is a joint initiative with Washington, D.C. metro-area chefs and restaurants to provide nutrition security to school children and their families. Chefs Feeding Families, which began as an emergency response, providing hot, prepared meals to alleviate the unprecedented demand for food assistance, also employed restaurant workers who might otherwise have been furloughed. The program has evolved to a more sustainable model, providing meal kits and produce bags that include recipes, easy preparation tips, and nutrition information in a bilingual format to support families’ cultural ownership of these ingredients and to inform and inspire the preparation of nourishing meals at home.

Real Food for Kids – Montgomery began in October, 2012 with a meeting of parents who were concerned about the nutritional value of the meals and competitive foods in the Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland. We have since built a coalition of over 3000 supporters, including parents representing 162 of the 202 schools in Montgomery County. In addition, we have 53 official representatives to MCPS schools, who are taking a leadership role in changing the food environment and policies at their child’s school.

Our mission is to advocate for fresh, whole and nutrient-rich foods in Montgomery County Public Schools, to reduce the availability of foods that are low in nutritional value, and to increase the availability of local and sustainable foods. We seek to collaborate with MCPS and other community stakeholders, recognizing that wholesome food is an educational investment that leads to academic success, improved behavior, and better health outcomes. We believe that improving students’ food options is a critical part of MCPS’ commitment to support the whole child.