It is our mission to provide food and essentials to hungry teens who are in the Vista Unified School District.
Our History
Vista Teen Outreach (VTO) was formed in fall of 2011, by three community members who heard of hungry students trying to play sports. They got together and started Hunger Hurts, which is known today as Vista Teen Outreach, Hunger Hurts.
Our volunteer board is small but full of heart. If we can feed one hungry child, we know we are making a difference, not only with their well-being, but also to keep them in school.
VTO services 15 Vista middle schools and high schools in the Vista Unified School District. We have a community liaison who delivers food to their adopted school on a weekly basis. The liaison works closely with the counselors, nurses and staff to be assured everyone on campus is aware of the pantry and that anyone who is hungry gets access to it. In the 2018-2019 school year there were 1,400 student’s identified as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. We were able to serve 800-950 of them on a monthly basis.
Why are the school pantries so critical to a child’s success?
Studies link food insecurity in children to lower test scores and academic failure. Hungry children have trouble concentrating and struggle with behavioral issues in the classroom. Without sufficient nutrition, kids face a higher risk for developmental impairments. Individuals that have struggled with food insecurity as a child suffer long-term effects, such as poor health and lack or readiness.
