FARMINGTON – In addition to a free breakfast program, a new free summer lunch program will be starting up on Monday.
In a unique program cooperative, volunteers with the Old South First Congregational Church have joined with staff at W.G. Mallett School in providing lunches to children from low-income families at two sites during a five-week period, from June 29 to July 30. The program is funded through the federal Summer Food Service Program.
Mallett School will be offering a free community lunch Monday through Thursday from noon to 12:20 p.m., while the church’s volunteers will provide lunch at Bjorn Park on Monday and Wednesday from noon to 12:20 p.m. The new park is located at the intersection of High Street and Farmington Falls Road.
All meals at both sites will be prepared by the cafeteria staff at the Mallett School. While the Summer Food Service Program pays for children’s meals, the church will pay the cost for accompanying adults to have lunch at either site. Adults who come must stay with their children; no dropoffs.
“Our hope is that providing free lunches to adults will encourage families to show up to eat,” said Chris Magri, co-chair of the church’s outreach committee.
The breakfast program will run during the same five-week period, with free breakfasts offered to the community at the Mallett School, Monday through Thursday from 9 to 9:15 a.m.
Magri said there are currently 14 church volunteers taking part, plus others who hope to offer activities and entertainment for the children eating lunch at the park. Volunteers will set up folding tables with chairs so children can sit and eat their lunch. A pop-up tent will be available in case of rain.
“We’re looking forward to getting started. The federal program for free summer meals isn’t new but this is the first year it’s being implemented in Farmington,” Magri noted and added, that nationwide, for every seven kids who get a free or reduced-price lunch during the school year, only one gets a free lunch during the summer.
“We’re happy to have the chance to change that, grateful to the RSU 9 personnel who’ve approved this local program and are doing much of the work to implement it, and hoping that in future years we can bring other area churches and organizations on board to expand the Bjorn Park program to four days per week just as at Mallett,” he said.
Wish that the Bjorn Park program could be at least 4 days/week this year.
Maybe you could extend you time as kids are just getting out of summer school and dropped off at 12:25 down on high street, I’m sure you would have more kids coming to get lunch if you stayed open just a little bit longer. And Thank you for doing this for our community family’s.