DES MOINES, Iowa — Making sure kids on the south side of Des Moines end their day with a hot meal and full stomachs is the goal of a new nonprofit called 4 All Kids.
Angie Ramos, the owner of Hot Tamale Catering, founded the organization in February.
The goal is to make sure all kids eat regardless of race, gender or money.
"We don't do [any] junk, we don't do [any] chips, we don't do [any] juice boxes. We are going to fill their bellies till it sticks to it," Ramos said.
Ramos gives all of the kids homemade food because she wants them to get nutrients from what they eat. The food can range from Mexican to Italian and is free for the kids.
Ramos told Local 5 the idea came after two occasions of children coming into her Tamale shop location hungry and noticing there was a need to feed them.
The children are able to eat free, but for them to be there, they have to either be dropped off by their parents or their parents eat with them.
While eating, they also have to give up their phones to ensure they engage in a conversation with people at their tables.
"No cellphones," Ramos said. "All cellphones will be put away or given a little white bag [to be put in] to where they can concentrate on eating the meal and talking to whoever they're in front of."
Ramos said the only way someone can get fed by her is if the child's parents have transportation to bring them to her location, but her ultimate goal is to expand the business to feed more kids all over Des Moines.
"I am trying to create to where we have volunteers take hotboxes filled with food and they go over there and distribute them to all students who acknowledge who they are," she said.
Ramos is speaking with community school coordinators who are stationed at Des Moines Public Schools about being able to have her meals delivered to some of the schools they are located in.
4 All Kids feeds kids on Mondays and Fridays starting at 3:30 p.m. at 2811 SE 14th St, Des Moines, IA 50320.
For anyone willing to donate to the nonprofit, Ramos said there is an account at Collins Community Credit Union.