Ogdensburg Boys & Girls Club

Ogdensburg Boys & Girls Club

The Ogdensburg Boys & Girls Club first found out they were eligible for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) through their partnership with the Orange/Lawrence County Initiative and decided to enroll to be able to serve their participants snacks. In the beginning, they experienced challenges with implementing CACFP at the club. There were issues in tracking the snack count correctly, which is required for claiming reimbursement. The club came up with a corrective action plan, which helped them better track the numbers.  Under the plan, a staff member is responsible for escorting the students to get their snack. The students then line up, and each time a student grabs a snack, their name is recorded along with the snack count.

The Ogdensburg Boys & Girls Club has been enrolled for CACFP for five years. As Executive Director, Thomas Luckie states, “[CACFP has] been a tremendous benefit because the kids are getting healthy and balanced snacks. They are eating [food] they haven’t tried in the past… The reimbursement for us is huge…because to be a member, it’s $6.00 a year and no one is ever turned away if they can’t pay.”

Now, successfully serving snacks under CACFP, the club also incorporates nutrition curriculum into their other various enrichment activities. In addition, it promotes physical activity and provides fitness equipment such as exercise bikes, balls, and more. Altogether, the club has a multipronged approach to ensuring their participants learn to lead a healthy lifestyle.

To learn more about the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), please visit our website to read more CACFP Success Stories from afterschool programs across the states, along with helpful webinars, a sample menu, and a meal-planning template.