Free Summer Meals for Kids in El Dorado

March 13, 2013

Kids Need To Eat, Inc. (KN2E) was created to raise awareness about hunger and food insecurity issues in our community, and to find solutions. Children need nutritious meals for the healthy development of their bodies, brains and behavior. Summer enrichment programs help children build skills and maintain academic progress (children typically regress academic during the summer without programming). Our first project: El Dorado LunchBox: Summer Meals for Kids (EDL). In partnership with USD 490 and the KS Food Bank, we will distribute 4000 free lunches to children under the age of 18 in El Dorado this summer. More information is available on KN2E's website: www.kidsneedtoeat.org.

Summer Meals For Kids

1. June: USD 490 offering free breakfast and lunch to all children who attend the Summer Academy, Monday - Thursday, at Skelly School. o Registration deadline: May 3. Meals are part of USD 490s food service program. o Shuttle bus transportation provided by USD 490 for elementary school children from other schools to and from Skelly. 2. July 1 - August 8, EDL offering free lunch sacks to children at Skelly School. o Monday - Thursday, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm. o Thursdays: children can take home extra lunches for the weekend. o Lunch sacks provided by the Kansas Food Bank come in 8 varieties. o Shuttle bus transportation continues all summer. 3. June 6 - August 8, EDL will distribute Need-Based Weekend Foodpacks on Thursdays. o For neediest families, based on referrals from child serving programs. 4. Supplemental food: Donations to hand out with sack lunches and Weekend Foodpacks. o Numana Community Gardens: providing fresh produce July 1 - August 8. o Numana, Inc.: providing 375 domestic meal packages (6 meals per package) for distribution with Weekend Foodpacks. o First Baptist Church: collecting shelf-stable foods.

Fundraising for the 4000 meals is focused on grants and business sponsors.
We will know by April 15 about our grant applications. We need to order the lunch sacks by late April. Donations sent to Kansas Food Bank and designated for the El Dorado LunchBox.

How you can support this much needed community program.

1. Pray for children and families living with food insecurity in our community , and for God to help us provide children the food they need for their brains and bodies to develop into the successful adults that God created them to be. 2. Encourage families to register their children for the Summer Academy and partner programs. 3. Spread information about free lunches for kids: flyers available around April 15. 4. Contact KN2E if your business, church or other organization wants to arrange for a presentation about local food insecurity issues. 5. Let KN2E know if you would like assist as a volunteer this summer. 6. Contact KN2E if you know someone who might assist with the Teen Work Program. 7. If we hand out school supplies in early August, assist with collecting donations. 8. Join KN2E as a member of its Board of Directors or as an advisor: Attend our Board meeting on Saturday, March 23, 10am - noon, at the Bradford Memorial Library. 9. Assist with fundraising if grants and business sponsors fall short of the $10,000 needed for the 4000 lunches. 10. Agree to be listed as a community supporter (no donation required) on the El Dorado LunchBox website at www.kidsneedtoeat.org.

BUY A KID LUNCH THIS SUMMER

For only $2.50 you can provide a summer lunch for an El Dorado child: $25 = 10 lunches $50 = 20 lunches $100 = 40 lunches $250 = 100 lunches

To donate:
Send checks to the Kansas Food Bank designating El Dorado LunchBox. Pay by credit card online: www.kansasfoodbank.org -- scroll down to El Dorado LunchBox logo under Our Programs in middle of webpage. Questions or comments? Please contact: Judie Storandt, Kids Need to Eat, Inc. (KN2E) 405-308-9158 / jgstorandt@msn.com or kidsneed2eat@msn.com