Children's Nutrition Access & Wellness
A free, community-based program providing healthy food, bilingual nutrition education, and free health screenings to low-income children and families across Arizona — no paperwork, no barriers.
Join the Program — It's FreeWhat is the Nutrition Access & Wellness Program?
Make Kids Matter's Children's Nutrition Access and Wellness Program is a free, comprehensive community health initiative delivering three essential services at once: healthy food distributions, bilingual nutrition education, and free preventive health screenings.
We believe that health is a family endeavor. When parents learn to prepare nutritious meals alongside their children and have access to both food and healthcare, entire households transform. Our monthly events are welcoming, barrier-free, and held in accessible community locations.
Every family that comes through our doors is served with dignity, respect, and no strings attached. No income screening. No paperwork. Just show up.
What We Offer
Three integrated services delivered together at every monthly community event — completely free.
Healthy Food Distributions
Fresh produce, shelf-stable pantry staples, culturally appropriate foods, and hygiene supplies distributed to 50–80 families per event. No eligibility screening. No paperwork. Just food.
Bilingual Nutrition Education
Hands-on English and Spanish nutrition workshops covering budget meal planning, label reading, healthy recipe preparation, and child nutrition — led by trained community health educators.
Free Health Screenings
Licensed medical volunteers provide free BMI assessments, blood pressure checks, vision screenings, and referrals to low-cost healthcare — for children and adults at every event.
Cooking Demonstrations
Live hands-on cooking demos using the foods distributed that day, so families learn exactly how to prepare healthy, affordable meals from the ingredients they're taking home.
Take-Home Resources
Recipe cards, a monthly wellness newsletter, and access to MKM's digital resource library so families can continue learning and growing between events.
Community Referrals
Families needing follow-up healthcare, social services, or educational support are connected to MKM's resource navigator — regardless of insurance status or documentation.
Our Program in Action
Who We Serve
Focused on the families who need us most across Glendale and metro Phoenix.
Children of All Ages
From infants to teenagers — every child in low-income households benefits from the nutrition, health screenings, and wellness education we provide at no cost.
Low-Income Families
Families at or below 200% of the federal poverty line in Glendale, West Phoenix, and surrounding Maricopa County communities facing food insecurity.
Foster & Kinship Families
42% of our participants include foster care and kinship households — families navigating the system who need additional nutrition and wellness support.
Multilingual Households
34% of families in our service area speak non-English languages at home. All program services are available in English and Spanish with no language barriers.
How It Works
Find an Event
Check our community calendar for the next monthly food distribution and wellness event near you in the Phoenix metro area.
Just Show Up
No registration, no paperwork, no fees. Bring your family. Events are held in welcoming, accessible community locations.
Eat, Learn & Screen
Receive healthy food, attend a bilingual nutrition workshop, and connect with free health screenings all in one place.
Keep Growing
Take home recipes, resources, and referrals. Come back every month. Our community is here for you long-term.
Proven Results
We track every outcome because we believe accountability and transparency matter. Here is what our data shows.
The Need in Our Community
In Maricopa County, 1 in 5 children faces food insecurity regularly. In the communities MKM serves, families face compounding barriers: poverty, language access gaps, limited transportation, and lack of health literacy.
These conditions contribute to alarming rates of childhood obesity, Type 2 diabetes risk, and developmental delays. Research shows that children in food-insecure households are twice as likely to experience chronic health conditions and perform below grade level in school.
MKM addresses root causes — not just symptoms — by delivering food, education, and healthcare together in a single welcoming community event model that families actually show up to.
Ready to Nourish Your Family?
Whether you want to attend an event, volunteer your time, or invest in Arizona children's health — there is a place for you at Make Kids Matter.
