Feed Our Children Ministry is an organization started by the Faith Lutheran Church in June of 2017. The organization provides free lunch opportunities to children in the North Scott Community area during summer.
15% of children in the North Scott area are underserved with the loss of the weekday free and reduced lunch program.
It’s vital to have a way to provide these kids meals, especially over the summer. “Over the summers of 2017-2019 and 2022-2023 we served more than 18,500 lunches in our community through our twice-a-week ministry,” the organizer of Feed Our Children Amy Powell stated. These meals are served in a few different locations nearby.
Community support has played a significant role in the success of Feed Our Children.
The first year the organization was established, it ran completely on community donations. The donations funded and supplied Feed Our Children. Powel conveyed, “Food donations have dropped off significantly, but monetary donations have increased.” The Faith Lutheran Church has made a commitment to ask for donations each month starting this fall.
During the summer of 2024, Feed Our Children was in the position to serve 2,997 meals, thanks to the assistance and support from members of the congregation and community.
Feed Our Children relies on volunteers to help pack and deliver each meal. They possess a wide range of volunteers with people of ages 8 to 80.
Each of their meal packs consists of a lunch and additional items for a snack or breakfast. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich is typically the main course of the meal. They also offer a peanut free meal, which includes a cheese sandwich.
Complementary items in the meal pack include chips, a dairy product (either yogurt or cheese stick), a fruit cup, a sweet treat, a juice pouch or water bottle and a breakfast item.
The meals come in a brown paper lunch bag with cute drawings, jokes or quotes on them. These paper bags were made by senior Sammie Garner.
Garner is heavily involved with Feed Our Children; she is very enthusiastic and passionate about volunteering for this organization. “I started drawing on the lunch bags during COVID out of boredom, but after it became pretty popular and helped people identify our meal packs. It’s so cool how something so little can have such an impact,” stated Garner.
Feed Our Children has no requirements for who is eligible to receive these meals. Anyone in need is able to go get a meal with no questions asked.
Anyone wanting to help these children can donate and drop food or money off at Faith Lutheran Church.
