Interfaith Community Services of South Carolina, Inc
A united faith community . . . working together to build strong families and healthy, thriving children.
Facts
- 14.6 percent of American households (17 million) are food insecure, meaning that their eating patterns are disrupted because of a lack of money or other resources for food. (Household Food Security in the US, 2008)
- Food insecurity is most prevalent in the South (Household Food Security in the US, 2008).
- SC is one of the top five states rating highest in food insecure children (Feeding America, 2008).
- Research indicates that even mild under-nutrition by young children during critical periods of growth impacts the behavior of children, their school performance, and their overall cognitive development (Feeding America, 2008).
- Some effects of malnutrition can be repaired by a proper diet; not all of the effects of poor diet are permanent. (Neuroscience for Kids, 2009).
- In SC, 187,275 children live below the poverty line – 87,631 households. (SC Kids Count, 2009).
- In SC, 11 percent of children fail between first and third grade because of a lack of school readiness (Kid Count, 2009).
- 83% of the children, families and providers served by Interfaith are low-income.
- 60% of the providers Interfaith works with are members of a minority group.
- Most Family Child Care providers are small, women-owned businesses.
What Interfaith's doing about it!
- Interfaith works with Family Child Care providers to provide incentives to serve healthy meals to the children in care.
- Interfaith monitors Family Child Care Homes for fire and safety, and works with providers on health and safety issues.
- Interfaith trains Family Child Care providers in appropriate child development.
- Interfaith provides children, parents and child care providers with free children’s books to promote early literacy.
- Interfaith works with churches to improve the quality of child care.
- Interfaith works with the faith community as a whole to support children and families.
How you can help:
- Give generously of your time, talent and treasure to help Interfaith support the nutrition and development of young children.
- Give generously to help Interfaith provide meals and literacy to low-income children in SC.
- Help increase Interfaith’s vision to provide family literacy, parenting, fire and safety kits, books, improved nutrition and child development for SC families.
- Become a Friend of Interfaith and donate today!
