This year as part of our Kids Summer Food Program, we offered lunches to adults. This idea came from a request in a rural town that has been serving lunches to children for 3 years and witnessed several of the kids’ parents and adult caregivers going without lunch day after day.

On the first serve day at this rural town, the Donovan family came to the park – mom, dad and two children. The two children came to get lunch and once they had theirs we asked the parents if they would like a lunch and they were a little hesitant but said yes. There were about 15 other children there without parents and they were sitting at picnic tables. The Donovan family went to a picnic table with no other kids and sat down. For our local volunteers, the best part of the day was seeing how the family sat together and were able to eat together. The parents and their children laughing, talking and enjoying a healthy meal…together. Throughout the summer, more parents came for lunch with their children as word got out that we were serving meals to adults as well.