How the South End Children's Cafe Feeds Bellies, Brains and Hearts
In a country overstuffed with prosperity, the idea of children going hungry is almost unbearable.
And yet that’s just what’s happening across the country, and here in the Capital District. Food insecurity is both an economic and a social indicator of a community’s overall health. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines an individual with food insecurity as someone who is uncertain of where or how to acquire nutritious and adequate foods in socially responsible ways. Food insecurity has been linked to mental and physical issues, from depression, to diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
In 2018, 10.2% of people in the Capital District were food insecure, according to Feeding America. During the pandemic, that number likely spiked significantly, although current data on hunger is difficult to come by. But according to recent estimates from the USDA, between 9 million and 17 million American children don’t have enough to eat. No Kid Hungry in New York State has warned that before the pandemic, 1 in 7 children in the U.S. faced food insecurity, and during and after, largely due to job losses, 1 in 4 face hunger.
Tracie Killar grew up in Albany, the child of a single mother who did her absolute best to provide for both of them and was able to weave a strong network of community and friendship that surrounded and supported them both. Still, there were difficult times. Killar understands the complex array of psychological and physical effects even an occasional unmet need or ambition can have on a growing child.
She spent many years working in nonprofits, and in 2015, founded the South End Children’s Café, an organization that serves not just healthy and nutritious food, but community and support to Albany residents. We sat down with her to discuss her journey, and how the pandemic changed not only the way the Children’s Café serves the community but also deepened her resolve.
Edible Capital District: You have deep roots in Albany. You live here, went to high school at Albany High School and graduated from the College of St. Rose. Were you born here, and how has the city transformed your life?
Tracie Killar: I was born at Brady Hospital in Albany, which is no longer here. It actually closed the year after I was born. I grew up here all my life, and I have such deep connections, especially in the South End, where I lived as a child. Now, I live on Morris Street. Albany has changed so much over the decades. But what has always struck me about Albany, and what has never changed, is the kindness of the residents. There is so much positivity, sense of neighborliness and a real desire to help others.
ECD: When and why did you go into nonprofit work?
TK: After graduating from St. Rose, I worked for Catholic Charities for many years. In the late 1980s, AIDS was becoming a crisis across the country, and Albany was no exception. I worked at the Farano Center for Children, which was one of the first residences that cared for babies born with HIV/AIDS. It became clear that these children were not just living longer than people expected, they were thriving. They were going to be able to go to school. So I went into the schools and educated people about HIV and AIDS. It was at that point that the kindness of the community, the desire to help, really lodged in my heart. People were so open and understanding. It also made me realize though that many of the children here in Albany don’t have the opportunities they should. Some kids ask their parents for art, music or dance lessons, but many would never even dream of it, because they know it’s simply out of their family’s reach. The idea that art should only belong to those who could afford it seemed sad and unequal, so I opened New Day Art in the South End. It offered art to kids who couldn’t afford it.
ECD: You did that for eight years, and then moved back into nonprofits behind the scenes. What made you go out on your own again?
TK: I missed actually doing the things. I missed being in touch with the kids, and seeing their joy at being able to do things they never thought they’d be able to do. I struggled over what to do, so I recruited my family. My husband, Bob, and my two youngest children. I have six all together, but those were the two at home. Lily is 23 now and at Albany Law, and Jude is 25 and at St. Rose. Together, we came up with a vision for bringing kids together to eat a healthy dinner in a community setting. We’d all break bread together. We also wanted to create a space for children after school to play and do their homework. From the beginning, we made it a no-tech zone, so the kids just did art, got help from volunteer retired teachers on homework, cooked together, played in parks and played board games.
ECD: It seems like there was an immediate groundswell of support for your mission.
TK: There was! Again, Albany blowing me away with its kindness. We held our first fundraiser in 2015 before opening and raised $13,000 before we even had a space. Then the pastor at Reigning Life Family Church in the South End generously offered us space for two years. When we outgrew that, the mayor and the Albany Housing Dispatch offered to buy us and Youth FX this beautiful space to serve the children from. It has been phenomenal. Then, we also got a grant from a lobbyist to fund a kitchen manager who makes from-scratch healthy meals. Our dinners are salads, fruit salads, steamed broccoli and real chicken.
ECD: Why is healthy food so important to you, and how do you manage to get it?
TK: Growing up as the daughter of a truly wonderful single mom, I know how hard it is to make fresh nutritious food every night while also raising a child and working. But children really need nutritious meals if they’re going to thrive. High-processed, sodium and sugar-rich foods are not healthy. We make purchases from the Regional Food Bank and local grocers with funds from donations. We also get a lot donations from members of the community who drop food off.
ECD: How has COVID changed what you do, and the need you see in the community?
TK: I can’t even think about how many times we’ve transformed our business plan since the pandemic shut down. We had to shut down our official café and after-school program twice during spikes in the outbreak, but when that has happened, we created a delivery program of healthy groceries and meals. We never ask questions, because I know personally the deep shame associated with needing help, so our program has grown under COVID. We went from serving 60 meals a day to kids and teens to getting food out to 600 people. Our funding increased during COVID because people wanted to help, and we have a food drive, too, every week, plus donations. We make purchases from regional food banks and occasionally the Restaurant Depot from cash donations. We also created two big cupboards outside our building where members of the community can pick up or drop off nonperishables. Right now, we are open for helping kids with homework and our regular meals, but we are still doing the delivery program as well. We are helping children and families access healthy foods, especially during this challenging time; the generosity and feedback has been truly wonderful to see.
FIVE RAPID FIRE
Breakfast today?
I’m embarrassed to say, I didn’t have a chance to eat any, but it’s almost lunch!
Favorite childhood meal?
Egg noodles with butter.
Cake, pie or cookies?
Macadamia white chocolate chip cookies.
Guilty indulgence?
Definitely ice cream.
Midnight snack?
Toast with strawberry jelly.
