Meet Clarissa Green: Supporting Our Kids Cafe Program

What’s your role at Second Harvest, and how long have you been part of the organization? What led you to this work?
My name is Clarissa Green, and I’m the Kids Cafe Program Specialist at Second Harvest. I recently stepped into this role, but I’ve been with the organization for a little over a year. Before I was in my current position, I was the Recurring Delivery Coordinator for South Orange County.

What led me to this work is both personal and professional. Growing up, my family relied on after-school programs very similar to the ones we’re currently supporting. Being able to now support organizations like the ones I was part of as a child feels very full circle for me. I’ve seen firsthand how important those spaces are, and that gives me a deeper purpose in what I do every day.

What’s something people might not know about your role or about Second Harvest?
I think when it comes to Kids Cafe, people may not realize the amount of coordination that goes on behind the scenes. It’s not necessarily just providing meals. There’s a lot of working closely with our partner sites, making sure they’re set up for success and helping them navigate federal program requirements, which go pretty deep.

There’s also a strong compliance piece since it’s a federally run program. We have to make sure everything is run correctly so that kids are consistently and safely receiving meals.

What do you enjoy most about working at Second Harvest?
I think what I enjoy most is the heart that everyone has and the culture at Second Harvest. People really care about the mission and the community we serve, and you can see that in the work every day.

It feels like more than just a job. There’s a genuine passion behind what everyone does, and that kind of environment makes a big impact. It makes me really excited to come to work every day.

What does your role as Program Specialist for Kids Cafe look like on a typical day?
Every day in my role looks a little bit different. A lot of my time is spent connecting with partner sites – answering questions, helping with onboarding and making sure they’re supported.

I also spend time reviewing program details and supporting compliance to make sure everything is done correctly. Overall, it’s a mix of communication, coordination and problem-solving, all centered around making sure kids are getting their meals.

One of my favorite parts of my role is site visits to locations across Orange County. I get to see the program in action and connect with the people who are directly serving the community.

Can you walk us through how the Kids Cafe Program works?
Kids Cafe provides meals to children at places where they’re already gathering, like schools, churches, community centers and after-school programs.

The goal is to make sure kids have access to nutritious food outside of the school day. During the school year, they receive meals after school, and during the summer, when school meals aren’t available, we help fill that gap.

We work closely with partner sites to coordinate meal service, provide guidance and make sure everything is running smoothly. It’s really a collaborative effort to make sure kids are being served in a safe and supportive environment.

Can you talk about the role that Second Harvest’s Partner Network plays in making Kids Cafe possible and why our relationships with members of our Partner Network are so valuable?
Our Partner Network is a key part of making the program possible. They’re the ones on the ground, building relationships with the kids, creating safe spaces and directly serving meals.

Those relationships are extremely valuable because they allow us to connect to our communities. We rely on our partners, and they rely on us. When those relationships are strong, the program is stronger and more impactful.

In fiscal year 2025, 286,969 meals and 29,400 snacks were served through the Kids Cafe Program. We couldn’t have such an immense impact without our Partner Network.

In your role, you spend time visiting Partner sites. Is there a moment or story from a site visit that has stuck with you?
I visited a Boys & Girls Club site in Santa Ana and being able to see the space they created for the kids was really powerful.

I never expected something so intentional and welcoming. I saw myself in that space because I went to an after-school program as a child and benefited from that kind of environment.

It brought everything into focus and really showed me how important these programs are and the level of care that goes into supporting kids.

Why is summer such a critical time for community support?
During the school year, children receive meals at school. But during the summer, that goes away, and families are left trying to fill that gap.

That’s where programs like Kids Cafe come in. We help make sure kids still have access to meals when school is out, which can make a big difference.

How do you measure success for the Kids Cafe Program, and what does success look like to you?
We definitely look at numbers, like how many meals are being served and how consistently sites are operating. But I think success is also about impact.

To me, success looks like strong partnerships, smooth operations and making sure kids can rely on the program day after day.

Because I relied on that support as a child, I know some kids depend on those meals the same way I did. Making sure they receive them is what defines success for me.