For the 16th year, the United Way of Whiteside County FREE summer lunch program will serve tens of thousands of take-away meals. The “Let’s Feed Our Children” program began Tuesday, May 30, 2017, across Whiteside County. Nearly 200 volunteers from local churches, other organizations, and many corporate partners will prepare the brown bag lunches, at various sites in Sterling, Rock Falls, Morrison, Prophetstown, Tampico, Fulton, Erie, Lyndon, and Albany, IL. No one is turned away, and there are no questions asked.
Lunches are being served every Monday through Friday at the Crave Building, 201 Market Street, in Morrison, IL, between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Anyone, of any age, who needs one may receive a free lunch.
On day four, Friday, June 2, adults and children were outside the Crave Building, preparing to set up for the 11:30 arrivals. They are, left-to-right, front row, sign-holding sisters Taylor Osborn and Sarah Osborn; back row, Co-Director Mary Vos, Evan McDonnell, Co-Director Jean Tichler, Dee McLain, Cameron McDonnell, and Darlene Smith.
Vos reported there are often people waiting for the door to open, but others arrive randomly until 12:30. How do they know how may bags to prepare? “Larry Vanderlaan works Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. He lets me know how many people he had. Sometimes we have to go to the [Morrison United Methodist] church, to make some sandwiches. We can do that, because the Methodist Church is [a] certified [kitchen].” What happens to lunches that are not claimed? “We send the extra lunches home with the children.”
On “Wednesday, June 7, one of the volunteers will take 17 lunches to the Summer School class at the Junior High.” This will be repeated during the session.
Donations for the “Let’s Feed Our Children” FREE Summer Lunch Program can be mailed to Post Office Box 806, Sterling, IL 61081.
Volunteers are still needed to help with the preparation of sandwiches. If you would like to help, call the United Way at 815-625-7973.
