Lina and her husband have four beautiful children – Jacqueline, 10, Carolina, 9, Jahn, 5, and Michelle, 3. They love their kids and would do anything for them – but lately, it’s been hard to make ends meet.Lina’s husband has been out of work for close to four months. With the soaring unemployment rate here in Las Vegas – more than 13 percent – it’s been nearly impossible for him to find a new job. Lina stays home with the children full-time, so these months without any income have taken a serious toll on the family.

“It’s very hard,” says Lina. “He’s looking everywhere [for work].”

Jacqueline and Carolina participate in their school’s free lunch program during the school year, which really helps stretch the family’s budget. But now that school is out for the summer, Lina will have to find a way to provide the meals her daughters normally receive at school.

Lina and her husband never thought they’d have to worry about how to feed their children. But right now, they need help.

Fortunately, food is one thing they don’t have to be anxious about this summer. Lina can take home nutritious groceries from Lutheran Social Services, a Three Square Agency Partner.

Lina is so thankful for the food she receives. “Thank you very much – thank you for your help for my children!” she says. “We really need the assistance.”

Hungry Children

When a child is hungry, it’s impossible for him to concentrate on anything except his empty stomach. Schoolwork and even playing with friends can take a backseat to thoughts of when he’ll get to eat again.

At the beginning of the school year, Three Square was pilot-testing three Kids Cafe® sites, a program of Feeding America – but now we’re operating nine full-time sites throughout Clark County. Kids Cafe serves nutritious meals, made fresh each day in Three Square’s Community Kitchen, to children who otherwise wouldn’t get enough to eat. In fact, for many kids, this afternoon meal is their dinner.

As the program director of After School All Stars at Lunt Elementary School in Las Vegas, Erika Aguilar knows how important nutritious food can be in a child’s life. After School All Stars is a nationwide after-school program that offers free tutoring, health and fitness activities, arts and crafts, and most importantly, a nutritious meal provided by Three Square.

More than 150 children are currently enrolled in the program at Lunt. Erika says they’re always hungry by the time they arrive because they haven’t eaten anything since lunch at 11 a.m. That’s why the meal is always first on the agenda. After the kids have eaten, they’re better able to focus on things like homework and playing with friends.

“They look forward to [the meal] every day,” she says. “They’ve got more energy for those extra two hours.”

Erika says she’s glad to know the kids she serves are being fed while they’re in her care – but she worries about them when they go home. She knows many of them wouldn’t have anything to eat for the rest of the day if they didn’t come to After School All Stars. She recalls the story of one little boy who was nibbling on his sandwich one day, pretending to eat it. When she asked him why he wasn’t eating, he replied that was saving it for dinner.

“We don’t know what they’re getting at home,” says Erika. “But [this meal] is one thing they don’t have to worry about when they get home.”

Refugio & Family

One in eight households in Nevada struggles with hunger. That means any given day, a familywho might live down the street from you has to make the unthinkable decision between paying the bills and feeding their children.

Refugio and her husband never imagined they’d find themselves struggling to put food on the table for their children. But lately, it’s been a challenge to make ends meet. Her husband works as a janitor while she stays home full-time to take care of their three children – Victoria, age 8, Andrea, age 3, and Arcazio, age 1.

Refugio is pregnant with her fourth child, due in September. She and her husband are so excited about the arrival of their new baby – but they’re also worried about being able to provide for their family right now. Her husband’s income just isn’t enough to pay for rent, utility bills and food for five people right now, let alone six.

Victoria participates in her school’s free breakfast and lunch program which helps stretch the family’s budget during the school year. But summer is hard because she doesn’t have access to these free meals when school isn’t in session – Refugio and her husband have been worried about keeping enough food in the house for their children this summer. And since she’s pregnant, Refugio can’t skip meals to make sure there’s enough for her kids. Right now they just need a little extra help.

Refugio visits Grace Immanuel Missionary for nutritious groceries when she really needs them. This Three Square Agency Partner provides important staples like fresh produce, meat and bread to between 200 and 250 families in need each week.

Refugio is so grateful for the food she receives. “Thank you very much for helping us…for helping people when they don’t have anything,” she says. “My children can eat!”