Now with schools letting out of the summer, some kids worry they may go without. These are little kids' thoughts:

"One time I was very hungry and then got sick because I was hungry," 10-year-old Hunter said.

"Sometimes we run out of food at home," 10-year-old Clark said. "It makes me sad. I don't tell mom and dad. I just eat as much I can at school."

"They're very powerful," Bart Brown, executive director of the Ozarks Food Harvest said. "It's really something you have to see in their handwriting."

Ozarks Food Harvest tries to help. During the school year, it fills backpacks with food for kids to take home over the weekend.

Now, in the summer, it's expanding another program, Kids Café, to year-round. It feeds children a warm dinner.

"A lot of the time, kids rely on schools for their primary means of nutrition," Brown said.

One area not covered by Ozarks Food Harvest, Republic.

When class is in session, schools like Republic offer kids flu shots, eye and teeth exams, and a nutritious meal. But now that schools out, the kids in need may go without.

"We haven't been approached with a need for programs in the summer," Republic School District Head Nurse, Natalie Botkin said, "but we'll look into it in the future."

Kids in Republic do have organizations they can turn to.

"We do have the People Helping People program that's open for the community," Botkin said.

Nutrition is important for a growing child. Studies show three days without nutrition can interrupt cognitive thought for life.

"They don't concentrate as well," Botkin said, "they have behavioral issues, and their immune systems aren't functioning properly."

"There's never been a better time to give to the food bank and help children's programs," Brown said. "This time is unprecedented."

Ozarks Food Harvest and Alice 95.5 will host the 11th annual Hungerthon the first weekend of June to raise money for the children's programs. Last year it raised $100,000.

You can also contact other organizations in your town to see if they provide similar services.