Free Lunch in the Parks! That’s What It’s All About.
Mayor Sam Adams, Amy Stephens from the Mayor’s office and everyone else who was involved, THANK YOU for helping to get 1,000 hungry kids fed Monday through Friday, now through the start of the school year. They pulled this one together and they pulled it together fast. (And they’re also working on a plan for next year, I hear.)
The free lunch in the parks program (funded with federal dollars, run locally) doesn’t start until two weeks after school ends, and ends three weeks before school starts! Did you know that? I did not like that math. That is a lot of hungry kids, for a lot of hungry weeks. And we’re not even talking about weekends. It is tough in Portland right now. It is tough a lot of places, and I know we can hang on and get through it, but it’s discouraging. We have a lot of people here who are out of work, and a lot of Oregonians are going hungry. That is heartbreaking, but especially when you’re talking about the littlest residents of the state.
Thanks to Luis Palau, Imago Dei and the Table, the Parkrose and Centennial School Districts, the Water Bureau and everyone else who is working with the Mayor’s office to bridge the gap so kids get fed. One thousand kids fed, five days a week, right up until school starts. Sam and everyone else came through. Indeed, yeah, I’ll say it — “Portland is better together.”
If you or your group is helping work on this, please leave me a note in comments or on Facebook so I can tell you thanks. It means a lot to me — but it means a lot more to the kids.
, 
.
are you looking for volunteers?? I love what you’re doing and would like to help!
val
August 18th, 2009 | #
All proper credit to the mayor’s office for pulling this off, but you deserve credit for bringing the problem to their attention. This probably wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t made the call in the first place.
August 18th, 2009 | #
val, call the City or Imago Dei — I’m sure they would be glad to have the help. Or just show up at one of the parks and ask if you can help. thank you for stopping by :)
Steve R., yer sweet. thank you for stopping by, too.
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” — Harry S. Truman
August 18th, 2009 | #
Penninsula Park @ 11:30-1:30 pm on weekdays. Volunteers help setup, hand out lunches, do a head count, and clean up afterwards. (we’ll be there next week)
August 19th, 2009 | #
That’s wonderful! I think every town should have a plan like this.
August 19th, 2009 | #