Chefs For Kids Inc
About Chefs For Kids Inc
At Chefs For Kids, kids do not just hear about healthy eating, they taste it, practice it, and take it home. In Las Vegas schools, that can mean a produce lesson, a chef-prepared breakfast, or a bag of fresh produce and grocery help for families during school breaks. It is the kind of work that meets children where they are, then gives them something useful to bring back to the table.
What sets Chefs For Kids apart is how closely it ties classroom learning to the actual food kids eat. The same organization that teaches nutrition in Title I schools also serves breakfast, supports families over school breaks, and helps aspiring culinarians through scholarships.
Programs
The concrete work this nonprofit runs. Each program may later become a fundable project.
Nutrition Education / Produce Pick of the Month
Monthly nutrition lessons delivered through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension at Title I schools, with tastings, physical activity, take-home handouts in English and Spanish, and a Choose My Plate placemat.
Cookin’ Up Breakfast
A school breakfast program where partner chefs prepare and serve a healthy breakfast at designated schools, reaching students and staff with a warm meal and nutrition education.
Holiday Helpings
School-break food support that provides families identified by school counselors with a $50 grocery gift card, fresh produce, and nutrition education materials before Thanksgiving, Winter, Spring, and Summer breaks.
Eat a Rainbow Farmers Market
A hands-on produce program where students taste fruits and vegetables, learn about the benefits of colorful foods, and take home bags of fresh produce for their families.
Healthy Remix
A middle school cooking and nutrition program featuring a live cooking demonstration, food safety lessons, and ingredients students can use to recreate the recipe at home.
Michael Ty Culinary Award
A scholarship program for students pursuing culinary, restaurant management, or food service-related study at UNLV or the College of Southern Nevada.
Chefs for Kids Culinary Fund
Support for aspiring and novice chefs that helps cover culinary competitions, workshops, kitchen essentials, and convention tuition assistance.
About this work
In their own words — what they do, who it reaches, and what your dollars actually fund.
Mission
Nutrition education is at our core. Chefs for Kids works to alleviate malnutrition and hunger in children through education and awareness.
Who they serve
Children in Southern Nevada, especially Title I elementary and middle school students, families identified for school-break food support, and aspiring culinarians seeking scholarships.
Their impact
- More than 200,000 students have been reached face to face over more than 30 years.
- Cookin’ Up Breakfast feeds approximately 10,000 students a healthy meal each year.
- Holiday Helpings supported more than 140 families and about 5,341 meals plus 3,500 fresh fruit and vegetable snack opportunities during the summer distribution.
- The first year of the Eat a Rainbow Farmers Market reached 599 children and created more than 10,782 opportunities for fruits and vegetables to be included in meals and snacks.
- One Farmers Market event provided 2,106 fruit and vegetable consumptions or additions to household meals.
- Nutrition education impact facts reported 39% of students increased fruit consumption, 46% increased vegetable consumption, and 76% of parents said their children were more willing to try new fruits and vegetables.
- Chefs for Kids has handed out seven scholarships in the past three years.
How your donation helps
- Fresh produce for Farmers Market and Holiday Helpings bags
- Healthy breakfasts for Cookin’ Up Breakfast events
- Nutrition education materials, handouts, and classroom tastings
- Grocery gift cards for families during school breaks
- Scholarships and culinary fund support for students pursuing food-service careers
- Volunteer and event supplies for school and gala programs
Our story
Chefs For Kids started in 1997 when Michael Ty had the idea for a nonprofit focused on children’s nutrition. He gathered founders to make it real, and the organization grew into a Southern Nevada network of chefs, educators, volunteers, and community partners.
Need help?
How someone in need can access Chefs For Kids Inc’s services.
Nutrition education is delivered through partner Title I schools and through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension’s Produce Pick of the Month program. Families needing Holiday Helpings support are identified through schools and school counselors before Thanksgiving, Winter, Spring, and Summer breaks.
Stories
The people behind the work.
In their words
My son came home and asked me to buy eggplant! Great program for the kids. Thank you!
I’m going shopping like my mom always does.
This is the Best Day Ever.
Events
Cookin’ Up Breakfast
monthlyMonthly school breakfast events where partner chefs prepare and serve a healthy breakfast at a designated school.
Holiday Helpings
before school breaksFood and nutrition support for families before Thanksgiving, Winter, Spring, and Summer breaks.
Dinner & Auction
annualAnnual gala and fundraising event supporting the organization’s programs and scholarships.
Monthly Poker Tournament
monthlyA recurring poker tournament listed among the organization’s events.
Ways to help
Concrete needs and volunteer roles Chefs For Kids Inc has shared.
Current needs
- Culinary partners to prepare and serve Cookin’ Up Breakfast
- Volunteer help for breakfast service and event support
- Donations for fresh produce, grocery gift cards, and nutrition education materials
- Support for scholarship and culinary fund awards
Volunteer opportunities
- Prepare, cook, and deliver breakfast for Cookin’ Up Breakfast
- Serve meals and help at breakfast events
- Join the gala planning committee for Dinner & Auction
- Help at on-site events throughout the year
- Assist with the CHEFmobile and truck-related activities
- Pack Holiday Helpings bags and deliver food support to schools and families
Recognition & press
In the media
- KSNV Ch. 3, coverage of Chefs for Kids’ healthy remix cooking demo with students at Lawrence Middle School
- KLAS 8 News Now, coverage of Chefs for Kids mentoring students in cooking and nutrition
Press & mentions
Partners & funders
In the news
Articles featuring Chefs For Kids Inc from the Love What You Fund newsroom.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this nonprofit and how its work happens.
How do students take part in nutrition education?
Students take part through partner Title I schools, where nutrition educators lead Produce Pick of the Month lessons, tastings, take-home materials, and Choose My Plate placemats.
What happens at Cookin’ Up Breakfast?
A host chef organization prepares a healthy breakfast at a designated school, and volunteers help serve students and staff.
Who receives Holiday Helpings support?
School counselors and nutrition educators identify families at high risk of not having enough food during school breaks, and those families receive produce, a grocery gift card, and nutrition materials.
What is Healthy Remix?
Healthy Remix is a middle school program with a live cooking demonstration, food safety instruction, and ingredients students can use to make the recipe at home.
What does the Michael Ty Culinary Award support?
The scholarship supports students pursuing culinary, restaurant management, or food service-related study at UNLV or the College of Southern Nevada.
Similar nonprofits
Other food, agriculture & nutrition n.e.c. nonprofits in NV.