One in Six Children Are Hungry in New Hampshire
In Southwestern New Hampshire, one in six children faces the daily reality of food insecurity. Too often, students start the school day hungry, parents stretch resources with little success, and families are left navigating a patchwork of supports that never quite close the gap. The Family Table Project exists to break this cycle by ensuring consistent access to healthy food, essential supplies, and the community connections that sustain long-term well-being.
Our work begins with immediate relief: Caring Closets in schools, clinics, and community hubs, paired with rotating Specialty Markets that provide fresh produce, hygiene products, and school supplies. Yet food alone is not the whole solution. That’s why we link families to nutrition education, benefit navigation, and social services that equip them with the tools to move beyond crisis. At the heart of it all is a belief in grassroots partnership—faith communities, businesses, healthcare providers, civic groups, and volunteers coming together so that no single organization bears the weight of this challenge alone.
The vision is simple but profound: a community where no child goes hungry, where families are nourished in both body and spirit, and where neighbors share in creating solutions. By combining immediate access, long-term resources, and collaborative partnerships, the Family Table Project is building not just stronger families, but a stronger Southwestern New Hampshire.
In Southwestern New Hampshire, food insecurity is a pressing and persistent issue. More than 17% of children in the region live in households that do not have reliable access to enough nutritious food—a rate far higher than both the state and national averages. Across Cheshire County, the overall poverty rate is about 10.2%, but the childhood poverty rate climbs to 13.2%. Statewide, nearly 14.4% of children—around 36,000 young people—experience food insecurity, compared to 10.7% of all residents. For families in rural communities, the problem is compounded by geographic barriers: long distances to grocery stores, limited public transportation, and sparse availability of affordable, fresh food.
The consequences are profound. Hunger undermines children’s health, development, and academic success, with studies linking food insecurity to higher rates of chronic illness, weakened immunity, and increased risks of anxiety, depression, and poor performance in school. Despite the efforts of schools, nonprofits, and public agencies, gaps remain due to complex eligibility requirements for programs like SNAP and school meals, underfunded outreach, and rising living costs that stretch families beyond their limits. Demand on food banks continues to outpace supply, leaving too many families unsure of where to turn. Without intervention, this cycle of hunger threatens the stability and future of children and families across the state
The Family Table Project tackles child and family hunger in Southwestern New Hampshire with a clear, threefold strategy: provide immediate relief, connect families with resources, and build strong community partnerships. Immediate needs are met through Caring Closets in schools, clinics, and community hubs, ensuring families have consistent access to everyday foods, not just emergency rations. Complementing these are Specialty Markets that rotate across communities, supplying fresh produce, hygiene items, and school supplies—all of which reduce daily stress and give families breathing room to thrive.
But food alone is not enough. The Family Table Project embeds food access into a broader safety net by offering nutrition education, benefit navigation, and referrals to social and economic services, equipping families with the knowledge and tools for long-term resilience. At the same time, we are building a sustainable model by uniting faith communities, businesses, healthcare providers, civic groups, and volunteers so that no single organization shoulders the burden alone. Together, these practical steps form a collaborative framework designed not only to meet today’s needs but to create lasting solutions for tomorrow—ensuring that no child in Southwestern New Hampshire faces hunger alone
The Family Table Project is built on the strength of community, and we can’t do this work alone. Volunteers are needed to help staff Caring Closets, host Specialty Markets, and support families with warmth and dignity. Funders and donors make it possible to keep shelves stocked with fresh, healthy food and essential supplies, while partners—whether schools, healthcare providers, businesses, or civic groups—help us expand our reach and multiply impact. Every act of generosity, from a few hours of time to a financial gift or an organizational partnership, directly fuels our mission to end child hunger in Southwestern New Hampshire.
If you feel called to be part of this work, we invite you to take the next step. Please visit our Contact Us page to learn how you can join the Family Table Project—as a volunteer, supporter, or partner in building a community where no child goes hungry. Together, we can set the table for a stronger, healthier future.