Nonprofit teams with library to provide education and nutrition
BY MARIA PREKEGES
Many people may think of the Wood River Valley as a high-end resort community. While there are many affluent people that live in the Valley, there is also a working class that sometimes struggles to put food on the table, and that’s where The Hunger Coalition comes into play with its Sumer Food Program.
While many children receive free or reduced-price school lunches while school is in session, those lunches end once the school year ends. To help kids continue to eat nutritious meals in the summer, The Hunger Coalition provides free sack lunches through its Lunch in the Park program.
“Our Summer Food Program is important because school lunches are meals that many kids depend on,” said Julie Molema, communications supervisor for The Hunger Coalition. “When school ends, hunger begins for many kids who go without lunch.”
Lunch in the Park is a partnership between The Hunger Coalition and the Blaine County School District, which provides the funding through grant money provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Through the program, “children ages 18 and under receive a free, nourishing sack lunch, five days a week,” Molema said.
Last year, with its Summer Food Program, The Hunger Coalition served 4,533 free breakfasts and lunches, including sack lunches for camps, to local children.
The Hunger Coalition is expanding its Summer Food Program this year with Bloom, which Molema described as a “a food truck and mobile library designed to provide access to the critical nutrition and education opportunities that all children in our Valley need and deserve.”
A partnership between The Community Library and The Hunger Coalition, the Bloom truck travels five days a week to locations in Blaine County, including north of Ketchum and Carey.
Naomi Spence, associate director of The Hunger Coalition, said: “It’s time to bring these services to the kids who need it the most. Bloom provides a fresh approach for accessing healthy food, books and activities to help children thrive.”
Jenny Davidson, executive director The Community Library, explained the importance of the program: “We believe that books and stories can enliven children’s summers and enrich their whole lives, so we are thrilled to extend the summer reading program into various neighborhoods this summer through the Bloom-mobile.”
Additional information and schedules for Bloom are available on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bloom5B.
The Hunger Coalition is always looking for volunteers to help with its Summer Food Program, and also accepts food and monetary donations. Additional information is available at www.thehungercoalition.org or at (208) 788-0121.
“We have a plethora of information on our website, but sometimes talking to someone can make you feel better, to ease your fears and answer your questions,” Molema said.
LUNCH IN THE PARK
The Hunger Coalition provides Lunch in the Park for children 18 and under on weekdays starting Monday, June 20, and until Friday, Aug. 19. Free sack lunches are served from 12-1 p.m. at Balmoral apartments park on Shenandoah Drive in the Woodside area of southeast Hailey. Parents or guardians can purchase a lunch for $1.